The Simla Affair Debuts as a Noir Whodunnit Play

The Simla Affair

Set in Simla in 1952, The Simla Affair follows twelve people gathered to mourn General Yashwant Chaudhary, who has been murdered by one of the attendees. The story unfolds in a newly independent India dealing with post-colonial challenges, societal hypocrisy, and elitism, featuring characters who all hold secrets and lie.

The play is written by Raja Sen, an India-based film critic and screenwriter whose credits include Chup: Revenge Of The Artist, Go Goa Gone, and 99. The Simla Affair marks his first play.

It is directed by Aditee Biswas, a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi’s Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for Theatre Direction in 2012 and an Erasmus Mundus Scholar. Biswas teaches theatre at The British School, New Delhi, and graduated from the NSD in 2004.

According to the director's note, the original work was devised in collaboration with third-year students from the National School of Drama, Delhi. The production brings noir elements to the National School of Drama, utilizing suspenseful lighting and featuring an immersive final act where the climax bends to the will of an audience member.