Using the suicide note of Rohit Vemula, this play juxtaopposes Rohit Vemula and Shambook, an asura of Ramayana, to show that casteism in India has a long tradition and is the product of a system governed by the sabarnas. Shambook was killed as he began a rigorous meditation (tapasya) which was considered to be the exclusive right of the brahmins and not of the sudras. The play dramatizes the events that motivated Shambook to choose meditation as his form of protest and places alongside an interview of Riaz, a close friend of Rohit Vemula, unravelling the incidents that led Vemula to sucide. It, thus, gives a call for fighting discrimination and propagates the need for creating an India based on inclusivity and equity.

Director's Note

Fascinated by Anshuman Kar's reimagining of the Ramayana, I spent weeks discussing the possibility of bringing it to life on stage. Merging two eras proved a daunting task, but with a phenomenal set design, evocative music, and the heart-wrenching dedication of our cast, the production found its own powerful voice. This play is a passionate critique of the age-old social evils that continue to divide us, perfectly aligning with the themes we've always championed.

Cast & Crew

Playwright: Anshuman Kar
Design & Direction: Avi Chakraborty
Music - Tamal Mukherjee
Makeup - Debashish Kundu And Jhumur Ghosh
Costume Design - Rikta Das
Cast- Sangita Chakraborty/ Jhunu Nag Sarkar, Abhi Chakraborty/ Asim Das, Sukanto Pal, Arpita Pal, Arup Goswami, Soumendu Haldar, Debadrita Bhattacharya/ Gulshanar Khatun, Uddalak Bhattacharya
Chorus- Deep Mandal, Shiv Prasad Majumdar, Abhijit Banik and others
Voice-over- Arka Dev
Singing - Shreya Sarkar
Gratitude - Rupam Islam
Music Operation - Soumendu, Shreya/ Snehashis Dey
Lighting Operation - Smritilata Mandal & Priyobroto Chattopadhyay
Set Making- Adrish Kumar Roy & Sukanto Pal
Calligraphy & Graphics- Tanmoy Chakraborty