One-woman theatrical odyssey  

Unlike other art forms, theatre is all about the present. I wanted to come back into [this] discipline, that working way of life,” says Suchitra Krishnamoorthi, talking about venturing into theatre with her latest production. The actor is all set to enthrall the city’s audiences with an 80-minute solo play, Drama Queen Refreshed, both today and tomorrow.

Just a teenager when she got into show business, Krishnamoorthi has performed across mediums be it television or commercial cinema. But acting is not her only interest. Apart from being a writer and painter, she is also a classical vocalist, trained in the Gwalior gharana style and has a few albums to her name.

This play, Krishnamoorthi mentions, is the perfect platform where she can bring together every activity she enjoys. “I was looking for a vehicle to propel myself back into the arts and this [the play] was the perfect opportunity because I have written it, I have composed the music, and I get to perform. In all aspects, it was very exciting for me to put it out,” adds the Mumbai-based artist.

A ‘novel’ take on womanhood
Drama Queen Refreshed is based on a fictionalised memoir, Drama Queen, authored by Krishnamoorthi in 2013. The play brings together the hilarity of stand-up comedy and the enthralling aspect of a musical, all while rewriting conventional boundaries of womanhood. 

Krishnamoorthi shares that the play is a “tongue and cheek, irreverent look at women’s insecurities”. “We are raised with this notion that we need a man to look after us. This is somewhere ingrained in our psyche. I am actually making fun, trying to topple this conditioning,” she explains, further adding that the play struck an emotional chord with women because the themes she touches upon are “universal in nature”. Viewers will also get to see Krishnamoorthi sing a few of her own compositions.

Laugh and sing along
Performing minus a co-star—especially on stage—has a charm of its own, shares Krishnamoorthi, who has starred in films such as Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, and the recent OTT series Guilty Minds. “It is all up to me. There is nobody else to make a mistake. In some shows, I make up an extra dialogue, do something different. Since I’ve scripted it, I have that liberty,” she adds.

Mentioning that even though has performed live on stage several times, every performance brings with it, fresh jitters. “I still get very nervous [before a show]. People tell me, especially when I am travelling for a show that they’d like to meet me before the performance and I refuse. I say I need to be in my zone and focus. This nervousness is there everytime,” concludes the actor.

CHECK IT OUT
WHAT: ‘Drama Queen Refreshed’
WHEN: June 4 and June 5; 8:00pm
WHERE: Kamani Auditorium, Mandi House (June 4), Apparel House, Gurugram (June 5)