Revathi’s role is moving and challenging in equal parts, as her character reminisces about the past and cooks while on stage. “I wondered if I could pull off such a detailed, elaborate script all by myself, but Srijith reassured me,” she says. “He gave me great freedom while I imbibed what the role needed. I drew from my own experience of cooking biriyani for dozens of people; the challenge with playing Nooramma is cooking on stage while also acting and going through costume changes.” Revathi takes great delight in the audience’s appreciation of her food.

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Aruvi, who has shaped the research and script Nooramma is based on, says that the play honours trans entrepreneur M Sangeetha by speaking of her legacy. Sangeetha was found murdered in October 2020, and the police went on to arrest P Rajesh, a former employee at her restaurant. Rajesh allegedly killed her after Sangeetha threatened to report him for sexual harassment. 

For Sangeetha and trans cooks like her, their occupation was a way to express their gender identity, something they could not do in their homes or in larger society. “We wanted to talk about where she came from, how she came to be a cook. During our research, we unearthed that the legacy of cooking by trans women has been ongoing for generations—Sangeetha did it, so did her guru, and her guru’s guru,” 
Aruvi explains.

Nooramma’s own religious identity, as well as the star dish of the performance—biriyani—are both significant and purposeful. The minds behind the play observed the worsening political situation during the COVID 19 pandemic, particularly the way in which the Muslim community was being targeted. “Biriyani isn’t just celebratory, it has an element of resistance,” Sundaram explains. Serving biriyani prepared on stage to those seated in the audience, is an invitation to interrogate their own biases.

WHAT: Nooramma: Biriyani Durbar by Kattiyakkari Theatre Group
WHERE: G5A Warehouse, Laxmi Mills Estate, Mahalaxmi West
WHEN: Dec 8, 7 PM
PRICE: Rs 250
CALL: 8879208475