Upcoming Theatre Play ‘Amma Chellam’ Navigates Hardships of Indian Youths in Malaysia

By Ameera Rosli  •  02 Aug 2023 in Features

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Malaysia is a melting pot of different cultures but how often do we see minorities represented in Malaysian media?

More often than not, our screens and stages portray stories told by Malay leads surrounding the Malay experience of living in our country, and while these stories are important in their own right, it is not representative of the all-encompassing hardships of being a Malaysian.

When Jagat burst onto the screen in 2015, audiences were shocked by the sheer grit and sharp truths that the film was brave enough to depict in the eyes of a young marginalised Indian boy.

Narratives that embody the Malaysian-Indian experience are few and far between and ever since Jagat, there has not been many stories to fill this blatant gap, at least within mainstream audiences.

Upcoming original theatre play, Amma Chellam, aims to be the answer to this insufficiency.

Growing up “different” is a struggle all youths can relate to, but not all youths can see themselves represented in terms of their skin colour and struggles.

Amma Chellam tells the story of a 16-year-old Indian boy named Ajay, who is learning to accept his own identity in a country that is relentlessly unforgiving towards minorities, especially brown, queer youths.

Ajay, who always had a special bond with his mother, finds himself at a crossroads when he is unceremoniously outed to his family.

With this, comes the arduous journey of self-discovery and acceptance as a queer Malaysian-Indian youth while navigating the tumultuous tug-of-war with parents, who may voice their concerns in painful words that often come from a place of love.

Drawing from lived experiences and real-life events, the play revolves around conversations pertaining to love, cultural conflicts and parental expectations.

According to writer and actor, Arjun Thanaraju, “We rarely see authentic Malaysian Indian stories on mainstream stages when in fact, we have so much to say. Plays like Amma Chellam give our community a voice to speak our truths.”

Arjun also revealed that the play is inspired by his relationship with his own family, most notably his mother. He said, “There is a line in the play where the lead character says ‘She isn’t just my mother, she is my best friend’.

“I think that perfectly describes my mother and I. We have our disagreements but when push comes to shove, no one fights for me harder than her, and vice versa.”

This play by Anomalist Production will be told in both English and Tamil with surtitles (transcribed dialogue projected above a stage or displayed on a screen) to be inclusive of non-Tamil speaking audiences.

Directed by Visshnu Varman, Amma Chellam features an all-Malaysian-Indian cast, namely Arjun Thanaraju, Vicky N, Naveen Raja, and Desmond with special appearance by Jagat and Poochandi star, Tinesh Sarathi Krishnan.

Due to the content that may be disturbing to certain audiences such as sexual abuse, violence, graphic language and suicide, the play is intended for those who are 15 years old and above.

The play will run for 90 minutes and it starts on 16 August to 20 August at Damansara Performing Arts Centre (DPAC).

To get your tickets, click here.

To keep up with the production, follow them on Instagram.