Experimental drama ‘Aunty Moxie Delulu’ is all set to come to Hyderabad

When you encounter people or senior citizens who talk over themselves, behave strangely or are confused or schizophrenic, you think about the trauma or experience that may have led to this condition. Drama is to reflect on this social reality and hope to attract sympathy. Aunty Moxie Delulu It will be staged in Hyderabad on January 31.

“We may feel a little disgust and even move away from such people. But we don’t know what they might have gone through in their lives. Aunty Moxie is a character who has probably been through hell and now seems to be Delilah to a normal person. For me, it is important to draw sympathy towards people like her,” says Aashiq Salwan, who has not only written and directed but also acted in the play.

single acting

The work was initiated by the Adishakti Laboratory for Theater Art Research to encourage independent artists to write new scripts and create performances. The 60-minute one-act play in English premiered in Puducherry in April 2025 and has since been staged in Delhi and Bengaluru, including most recently at Bengaluru Habba. After Hyderabad, the play heads to Mumbai for the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, which runs from January 31 to February 8.

At the age of 60, Aunty Moxie is vacillating between revenge and forgiveness. “This character is very important to me because I completely relate to it.” Oscillating between myth and reality, Aashiq plays four characters, including mythological ones – Ganga, the goddess of forgiveness, and Nemesis, the goddess of revenge from Greek mythology.

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A scene from the drama Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

While the music and lights are by Kirtan Krishna and Prerna, the narrative is a bit abstract and the stories may seem disjointed but loose ends get tied up in the end. Aashiqa created the character of Aunty Moxy based on the life around her and the many conflicts and wars going on in the world. The play features characters who have no say in things but are expected to take a stand. “This general unrest is stoked by those in power. The ordinary person, who wants to mind his own business, has no idea what’s happening and why. It’s like a generational effect where no one knows what’s happening and why you feel a certain way about certain people or things,” she explains.

foster empathy

Single acting Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Aashiq hopes that the audience will step into Aunty Moxie’s life and understand what the character is going through and foster empathy. “We can be a little sympathetic among ourselves, because we are all suffering in some way or another.”

Although Aashiqa is a little worried about the audience’s reaction to her experimental work, she is hopeful. Based on her past experiences of staging plays in Hyderabad as a member of Adishakti Theater Laboratory, she says, “The audiences in Hyderabad are warm and welcoming and also want to try new things in the theater sector.”

Aunty Moxie Delulu will be staged at Rangbhoomi Space, Gachibowli on January 31. book tickets on myshow