Karthik Adhinash’s debut play uses comedy to challenge caste norms

For his first written and directed work, Karthik Adhinash chooses comedy as the unexpected vehicle to drive home a hard-hitting message. Men’il indha kaadhal is a new play that is part of the third edition of Red Nose Theatre’s Kalaki festival. It unpacks the intersection of caste, familial pride, and intergenerational disconnect in a format that encourages laughter as much as introspection.

Set in a rural Tamil milieu, the play draws inspiration from Karthik’s roots in Aruppukottai, a town in Virudhunagar district, where caste hierarchies often supersede empathy, individual choice, and familial bonds. “The idea was to explore what really matters. In many places, people still hold on to caste pride so tightly that they lose sight of what their children need or want. My play questions whether it’s worth holding onto something that doesn’t even treat you as fully human,” he says.

While the theme is serious, the play’s mode of delivery is unmistakably comedic. “I didn’t want to preach,” says Karthik, who has spent over six years in theatre, primarily as an actor. “Comedy, when done well, can reach people more deeply than overt messages. They laugh, but the ideas linger.” His background in performance has helped him shape the rhythm of the play, understanding intuitively when a joke will land and how timing can transform meaning.

The story revolves around Marikolundhu, a status-conscious patriarch who prizes social validation over his family’s emotional needs. The character is played by Lakshmi Narayanan, an actor with four years of professional theatre experience, who also serves as a core member of Red Nose Theatre. “He’s someone who wants the world to bow to him,” says Lakshmi. “He follows societal norms blindly because he wants to be recognised and celebrated, even if it comes at the cost of his own son’s happiness.”

Lakshmi describes the comedy as stemming not from slapstick or punchlines, but from the characters’ own seriousness. “It’s the kind of humour where the character is completely convinced of what he’s doing, and that’s exactly what makes it funny to the audience today,” he explains. The cast includes Nirmala as the subdued but quietly resolute wife, Nritya as the fierce yet tender Poornima, and a motley of townsfolk whose antics reflect a village caught between tradition and change.

With eight performers on stage, the actors have been rehearsing intensively for a month. Men’il indha kaadhal is layered with moments of levity and confrontation, rooted in a social context but never weighed down by it.

As for the future, Karthik hopes the play travels beyond this staging. “If there’s interest, we’ll take it to more venues,” he says. For now, though, all eyes are on the opening night and the laughter that just might prompt reflection.

Tickets at INR 300. On May 3. 4.30 pm and 7.15 pm. At Medai, Alwarpet, Chennai.

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