Dark comedy set on the eve of independence, Des, to debut in Bengaluru this weekend

When Des premiered in Mumbai’s Prithvi Theatre last January, it delivered a sharply original take on India’s independence. Now, Bengaluru audiences get their tur n to watch this Sanhita Rangmanch Award-winning play written and directed by Abhishek Majumdar. This production by Rangashila stars Irawati Karnik, Sandeep Shikhar, Avneesh Mishra and Ajeet Singh Palawat in a satire set in Delhi over one fateful night in August 1947.

Whose freedom was it?

The observed comedy explores the chaos and contradictions at the brink of Indian independence through the lens of a Delhibased couple, Rukmini and Purushottam. “This play began with my interest in The Road to Freedom, a series of documents from 1935 to 1947 that outline the messy, complex reality of India’s jour ney to freedom. I didn’t want to repeat the clean textbook version. I wanted to ask — whose freedom was it?” Abhishek begins. While the subject has been widely dealt with through tragedy, the director flips the form. “Satire and tragedy are two sides of the same coin,” he says.

Partition tales

“Partition has always been treated tragically, but I wondered — what if we laughed at the absurdities of that time, too?” he explains. His fascination with satire stems from years of listening to radio comedies and reading writers like Max Frisch. Above all, Des is a call to return to genuine debate. “We’re not debating democracy anymore — we’re asserting. Hopefully, the play can take us from argument to reflection,” the director shares.

The play boasts characters with nuanced disagreements, not binary oppositions. “People aren’t one-dimensional in real life. Ruku and Puru love each other, even when they argue. That’s what makes life and politics real,” he says. The soundscape, composed by Karnataka’s acclaimed musician MD Pallavi, anchors the play. “You might not even notice it at first — but take the sound away and the whole atmosphere changes,” he points out.

₹300. July 4 & 5, 7.30 pm. At Ranga Shankara, JP Nagar.

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