Nishumbita School of Drama’s Orey Pandi! in Hyderabad draws the line between laughter and damage

Peter Shaffer’s Equus opens with an act of violence that shocks the audience into attention, but asks them to look deeper — not at the crime, but at the human mind behind it. That same sense of discomfort frames the entry into Nishumbita School of Drama’s latest theatrical work, Orey Pandi!, a Telugu monologue which begins at a disturbing point and then works its way backwards into the life that led there.

Exploring the Depths of Human Psyche: Orey Pandi! Unveils a Tale of Trauma and Transformation

The play opens with the protagonist,played by Mukesh Sai, having killed six people. He enters the stagedancing wildly, filled with restless energy, before collapsing into stillness and beginning to speak. “He brings a lot of physical movement because the body carries the chaos before the mind can speak. Only when he is exhausted does the story begin,” says Ram Holagundi, the director of the play.

At its heart, the plot follows a child who grows up surrounded by emotional instability. His parents are constantly fighting, and his only source of comfort is his grandmother. She lovingly calls him ‘Pandi’, a nickname that becomes a symbol of safety and affection. “When the child’s grandmother called him that, it was love, but when the same word is used by others, it becomes abuse,” Ram explains.

As the boy grows older, the nickname follows him into school, college, and adulthood, turning into a tool for body-shaming and bullying. Each repetition adds to a growing sense of anger and isolation.

The monologue demands intense transformation from, Mukesh, who shifts between multiple characters — the child, the parents, the grandmother, friends, and authority figures. To help prepare Mukesh, Ram drew from his own experience working closely with children. “We spent weeks observing how they move, how they avoid eye contact, how their hands shake,” he says. “Those details are important because they make the character honest.”

The play ultimately carries a clear message about empathy and responsibility. “There is always a line between humour and cruelty, and when we cross it, even without meaning to, the damage can be very deep,” Ram concludes.

Tickets at Rs 100,

December 21, 7 pm.

At Nishumbita School of Drama, Begumpet.

Email: anshula.u@newindianexpress.com

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