IN THE NEWS
May 14, 2020
‘No amount of VR/AR or live recordings can come close to the live theatre experience’ — V Bala, Theatre Nisha, Chennai
It is quite ambitious to call theatre an industry in the Indian context. Theatre at best is patronised, sometimes self-reliant, and mostly sponsored. Artists earning their entire income from theatre are very rare.
Mar 12, 2018
Three novel ways in which Chennai is changing the discourse on water
The objective of the projects organized by the Institut was to harness the power of art and culture in creating a dialogue on water. The organizers felt that the long-lasting impact an artistic reflection on the issue could create would go much further in arousing and engaging residents, than closed-door lectures or policy discussions would.
Dec 2, 2017
Not a Drop To Drink: A play for young audiences wades into the issue
The idea of the story originated from the myth of Ganga, who is brought to earth to redeem lost souls. A question arose in my mind — what if Ganga decides to return to the heavens seeing the complete apathy humans have for nature conservation? That was the seed of the origin of the play.
Oct 13, 2017
The New Indian Express - "Passion at play: Avant-garde theatre in Chennai"
When we ask V Balakrishnan aka Bala about non-commercial theatre, he is quick to correct us, saying,
“I have never seen my theatre as non-commercial. Yes, I have refused to cater to the least common denominator, or to put up anything on stage I do not organically believe in, but I have at the same time never tried to be abstruse.”
Feb 15, 2017
The Hindu - "One man, many roles"
At a time when literary and theatrical works reinterpret epics to connect to contemporary audiences, to stick to an original verse written in 1952 and present it without any adulteration requires courage. And, Theatre Nisha deserves a packed audience just for that.
Apr 02, 2016
The Times of India (Bengaluru) - "Retelling the Queen's fight"
“The most important aspect of portraying Rani Lakshmi Bai is depicting the sheer physicality of the character. I had to develop the strength to hold a stance and to wield a sword. I trained with a martial arts expert. The physical routine was rigorous. But the fight sequences, especially those towards the end of the play, are worth all the training. And as we prepared and rehearsed, the play unfolded organically."
Mar 24, 2016
The Hindu MetroPlus - "A Queen's Story"
“We start the play with the Doctrine of Lapse being imposed on her kingdom. There’s a very famous line in history, where she is supposed to have said, ‘Meri Jhansi nahi dungi’ (I will not part with my Jhansi). For a woman of her stature, who had never been bold, to have said something like that, sets the tone for the next two years of her life.”
Mar 25, 2015
The Hindu MetroPlus - "Staging life on his own terms"
"I want theatre to create a feeling of communion, the way you connect with one another in a place of worship. Most importantly, I want to create work that stays with you for the rest of your lives; that will be with me for the rest of my life.”
Aug 05, 2014
Youth ki Awaaz - "Meet Bala, The Artist Who Brought Mature, Intelligible And Responsible Theatre To Chennai"
"We approached a sponsor to bring down Mallika Sarabhai for a show in Chennai. Within five minutes of our conversation they were in complete agreement of our proposal and asked us when Ms. Mallika Sherawat is arriving in town. Ridiculous"