Mazhayil or Iravu (A rainy night) S. is the title of a play by Theatrics Stage Crafters, directed by Anand. The title suggests a thriller. Although not in one of the strictest senses of the word, the story did involve some sleuthing by the hero and heroine.

There is no murder or violent crime that night when Anupama (Malini Devi) and Abhinav (Girish Venkat) get caught in the rain and are forced to take shelter in the house of writer Agni (S Anand). When Anupama learns that the person who has given her shelter is the same person who once wrote under the pseudonym of Agni, she is delighted, as she is a fan of the feminist themes in his stories. Sadly, Agni stopped writing years ago and he explains the reason. His wife Aqeela ran away with her lover and died. He was devastated by the betrayal and her death and stopped writing. Anupama wants to rekindle the lost spark of creativity in them. But a strange restlessness grips him. Agni’s words seem harmless on the surface, but hint at a sensual intent underneath.

from the drama Mazhayil oru iravu, Staged as part of Kodai Drama Vizha 2026, organized by Karthik Fine Arts. | Photo Courtesy: SR Raghunathan

Is Anupama misled by the spirit of her stories? Did he really want to destroy patriarchal structures as his stories suggest? Is Akila really dead? Or is he a Janus-faced monster? The suspicions will not go away and Anupama and Abhinav start investigating her past.

The playwright succeeded in creating and preserving dramatic tension in the play. As the scenes moved back and forth from the past to the present, you could see the erosion of Agni’s kind personality. This play was about the hidden powers of women.

While Akila (Nanjil Revathi) was cowed down by the ill-treatment, she could have fought to save other women like Anupama from Agni. There was no exaggerated curiosity about women. The lack of clutter in the dialogue (by S. Gaurishankar) was a bonus. Good performances from Malini Devi, Girish Venkat, Anand and Nanjil Revathi ensured that the drama had no weak links.