The most recent offering from Indian Ink is a stripped-back exploration of story-telling that revels in the enchantments of an art form that is as ancient as humanity and as current as a Facebook profile.
Using the simplest of means Jacob Rajan spins a vast, multi-generational epic that delivers a sharp warning about the deceptiveness of appearances and poignantly evokes a sorrowful cycle of attachment and loss.
The production conjures up the democratic vitality of a modern street market where spiritual wisdom has hustle for space and Hindu deities rub shoulders with rampant consumerism, desperate poverty and the casual brutality of a police force that is barely distinguishable from a protection racket.
Underlying the story is the potent enigma of a truthful lie and the complex, multi-layered script throws up some provocative reflections on the tangled relationship between truth and fiction.
Rajan's performance is a mesmerising blend of dazzling showmanship and pure charisma. With a few well chosen words he paints a rich visual tableaux full of arresting detail and displays a remarkable ability to dive into the emotional heart of an ever-changing parade of characters.
