Play from Puducherry challenges gender norms and traditions

A scene from the play Nada Paavaadai.

Nada Paavaadai, which translates to “walking skirt”, a play by the Velippadai Theatre Movement from Puducherry, is set to make its debut in Bengaluru, bringing a narrative that challenges deep-rooted social norms surrounding gender and tradition.

The play that is being presented in Tamil at Bengaluru International Centre (BIC), Domlur, on October 9, at 7 p.m., follows the journey of a determined woman who steps into an unconventional role — performing burial rites. 

A scene from the play Nada Paavaadai.

Taking on a role

Directed by Ramassamy S., according to the synopsis of the play, Nadapaavaadai centres on a woman who is forced to conduct burial rites for her entire village after the passing of her family member, who previously performed these duties in a small village in Puducherry. Due to social inequality and prevailing customs, women are rarely permitted to even enter the crematorium in these areas. The characters in the play question the woman’s access to the crematorium and her role in carrying out those rituals that are traditionally associated with men. 

The woman leads the burial rites in full face of the public – which many would be reluctant to undertake or would not be allowed to do. Nadapaavaadai attempts to initiate an engaging dialogue about her role in diverse social and cultural contexts and its implications.  

This play has evolved out of close observation, followed by extensive ethnographic fieldwork, discussions, and participatory playmaking, says Ramassamy. “This play is based on a true incident. I was doing a theatre course at Pondicherry University and doing many observational projects; that is when I came across this woman in a village called Kuruvinatham. She was performing funeral rituals when I first saw her, and that was a very unusual rite. It is usually only the men from the community who perform these rites. Later on, I learned that all the men in her community had passed away, and she was the only senior person in the community. The village forced her to continue performing the funeral rites. She could not say no or oppose what the village wanted,” he added.    

A scene from the play Nada Paavaadai.

A life on stage

Ramassamy says that before premiering the play to the public, it was presented to the funeral performer herself, and she was happy to see her life story on stage. The play stars trained actors from across Kuruvinatham and other villages in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu.

“This has been a project that has been in my mind since 2010, and since then, I have been researching and working on the script. I met this woman several times over the years. We discovered the dimensions of caste, religion, communities and more through the journey. In 2022, we made this play, but for many months before we started making the play, I took our actors to the village and made sure they understood the community well. They lived there, met this woman, saw her day-to-day routines, understood how the funeral rituals are performed and a lot more,“ he adds.  

A scene from the play Nada Paavaadai.

Ramassamy, an actor, trainer, and director, has a master’s degree in theatre and drama from Pondicherry University and a professional diploma in intercultural theatre acting from the Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI), Singapore. He is known for his plays like Iraniyan Allathu Inaiyattra Veeran and Walks Off Life, among others. The troupe Velippadai Theatre Movement was founded as a community initiative in 2013 to develop a deep connection with the lives, sufferings and concerns of the self and others as well as to inculcate a new awareness in the rural context of Pondicherry about both tradition and modernity. 

Entry for the play is free on a first-come-first-serve basis on RSVP and availability on the BIC website.