Theater director PR Arun explores gender, violence and patriarchy in his latest production Hand of God

hand of god Explores consent and violence in intimate relationships to show how love, marriage, and power become tools of control. The installation centers marital rape, and because of the interactive nature of its concept, the play demands its audience to take a stance. Whether it makes them uncomfortable, overwhelms or excites them, there is no way to avoid it.

He says, “Every time it has been staged it has been different, depending on how the audience responds to it. The shows have been intense, sparking intense debate among the audience. Often, we, the crew and the actors, have been surprised by the outcome.” Arun spans across mediums, he is the writer of films like Nellikka, Jamna lovely And FinalWhich was also directed by him. his web series Pharma Streaming on JioHotstar.

Theater and film director PR Arun Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

hand of god The size varies per performance depending on the ‘collective conscience’ of the audience. Arun says, “If one day it was emotional, the next day it sparked intense debate. The audience decides the climax, the action progresses the way the majority wants it.”

He wrote a play in English for the first time in 2019. “Why I wrote it in English, I don’t know. Today, I feel that to be local is to be global, especially topics related to gender and sexuality should be talked about in the native language. That’s how the play got rewritten in another format in Malayalam!”

God is at the center of a world where power, justice and love collide. However, God is not the God we know. It is a metaphor for the systems – social and familial – that decide whose suffering should be prioritized. So the audience gets a chance to vote on who pays the price. There is no black and white in this world where everything that happens affects the characters.

It invites viewers to confront uncomfortable shades of grey. The play uses a mix of dark humor, sexuality, and unease to reflect on gender, body politics, faith, and democracy.

misogyny manifested

The main characters are a king, queen and slaves; At the center of the play is the rape of the queen, first by a slave and then by her husband, the king. This is where the uncomfortable questions start. Audience reaction has ranged from Raja claiming ‘ownership’ of his wife’s body, victim blaming and slut-shaming to expressions of misogyny and patriarchy, says Arun. Surprisingly, some of these responses were from women, which makes it even more interesting. They plan to share the results of the voting with experts for a sociological study, where viewers vote for the character they consider guilty.

Arun says, “It is highly provocative and meant for a mature audience; it is not for children.”

The cast includes Jio Baby, Meenakshi Madhavi, Anagha Narayanan, Siddharth Varma, Mallika M, Kishore Roshic and Joshi Johnson. About casting Jio Baby, who has proven his acting prowess in films, Arun says, “For the role of Raja, we were looking for an actor ‘like Jio Baby’. That thought led us to think, ‘Why not ask him?'” He spoke to Jio, who at the time was looking to give theater a try. Anagha Narayanan has been seen Chintalajch Nischayam, Anpodu KanmaniAnd Vashi Apart from other films, he had an active presence in theater plays.

The play has been staged at six venues in Kochi, including the Kochi Muziris Biennale. Arun intends to take the play to other cities and towns in Kerala including Thiruvananthapuram, Calicut and Kanhangad and Bengaluru.