[LANGUAGE: Mix of KANNADA & ENGLISH, along with English subtitles.]

[DURATION: 90 mins]

[VENUE: Gurubaksh Singh Hall, University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli]

“Where and all you are roaming, I say?”

“Why did the brinjal get an erection when I went to the market?”

“Isn't eloping cheap and best?”

“Shouldn’t there be a training school for marriage?”

Meet Khanavali Chenni – she is either asking questions or being asked questions. Chenni was an iconic character who ruled Kannada theatre with her double-meaning dialogues and sexual innuendo. The play traces the journey of a group of performers who set out on a search for their ancestry - women performers on whose shoulders their work stands. In their search, they hear about the legend of Chenni. While trying to find her, they meet several other actresses who have their own stories to share. Will they eventually meet Chenni? What will they discover?

Project Darling is an incisive examination of female sexuality at the crossroads of censorship and culture. Supported by India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) Research grant, reFrame Genderalities Fellowship and developed at Nirdigantha – an incubation centre for theatre by Prakash Raj. 🎊

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THE CREW -

🎬Written & Directed by: Sharanya Ramprakash

📝Presented by: Prakash Raj

🎭Performers: Matangi Prasan, Shobhana Kumari, Shrunga BV, Shashank Rajashekar and Surabhi Vasisht

🎞️Dramaturg & Production Manager: Sridhar R Prasad

📝Co-writer: Kruti R Purappemane

🎥Assistant Director & Sound Design: Aswin Varrier

💡Lighting Design: Arun DT

🎶Music: Rumi Harish, Priyashri Mani & Pardafash

🎵Songs: Siddhartha & Dadapeer Jyman

🎭Puppets: Rency Philip

🙌Set Execution: Khaju Guttala

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ABOUT THE ARTIST -

About Nirdigantha:

Established in 2023 with the aim of empowering artistes and creating opportunities for them, Nirdigantha is a theatre incubation center in K Shettihalli, Srirangapatna, founded by actor and filmmaker, Prakash Raj. The organisation has adopted the concept and principles of “Nirdigantha”, a metaphor from the lines of the poetry of Kannada Poet Laureate Kuvempu that epitomise “Growing Beyond Horizon”. With a prime focus on theatre, it encompasses various fine arts such as literature, music, painting, dance and sculpture, attempting to unite the “call of relevance” with the “call of resonance”. This journey brings together artists, writers, scientists, environmentalists and individuals from diverse disciplines on the basis of reciprocal relationships.

About Sharanya Ramprakash:

She is a Bengaluru based theatre maker. She places her work at the intersection of gender, tradition and language. She writes, acts, directs and collaborates with a range of forms, communities and theatre makers across local, national and international locations. Her work is research based, collaborative and exploratory. She is an INLAKS scholar and Member of the Lincoln Centre Directors Lab, New York. She is the recipient of the Shankar Nag Theatre Award 2022. Her latest work includes the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Award (META) winning play Akshayambara, Nava (supported by IFA Project 560) and Project Darling (ReFrame Fellowship).