A new play weaves a story of love, longing and deceit

A new play by Amitesh Grover speaks of grief through the story of a woman who can make clay figurines come alive

- Prachi Sibal

Mehroon, a musical on love and longing, has been creating quite a name for itself ever since it opened in Mumbai in November. Directed by Amitesh Grover and written by Sarah Mariam, the play is about insatiable desires, deceit, dreaded curses, and more. The new production is all set to travel to other cities in 2025. In an interview with Lounge, Grover details his process. Edited excerpts.

What was your vision for the play?

It is a musical play about a state of longing. It links inner and outer lives, fantasy and reality, night and day. This play is a lot of things together—a love story, a mystery, a ghost story and a modern folk tale. My vision about love is idealistic and ambitious, and I wanted to make a play that explores its many meanings as well as meaninglessness. The playwright, Sarah Mariam—my long-term collaborator, partner, and writer—mulled over these ideas for months before turning it into a play that inspires, enlightens, and provokes the audience. In her writing, she provides a spiritual treatise on love overcoming the fears of intimacy and loss.

How does the story unfold?

Having lost everything, a grieving woman attempts to start life again with a handful of wet earth and an innate gift to make her creations come alive. The narrative is spun by a chorus of actor-singers, who follow a woman's journey as she is consumed by her love and desire. This suspenseful tale explores the vagaries of the heart and the implacability of circumstances, and even though it unfolds as a tragedy, it is life-affirming at its core.

How does the name itself hold the key to understanding the play?