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Mohit Takalkar takes audiences to the edge with Anatomy of a Suicide

Alice Birch’s Anatomy of a Suicide, directed by Mohit Takalkar and staged at The Box, delivers a raw, layered exploration of trauma passed from mother to daughter across three generations.

3 min readUpdated: Dec 7, 2025 12:10 PM IST

Anatomy of a Suicide is playing at The Box, and is the latest from one of the country's finest directors, Mohit Takalkar. (Express Photos)

“I am only just managing to drop a breath… I have to stay here until she grows. I can’t sleep until she’s grown,” shouts Carol to her husband in a scene from the play, Anatomy of a Suicide. The ‘her” she refers to is her daughter Anna–but Carol has as little control over her own illness as she does over its impact on the next generations of daughters in the family.

Faezeh Jalali, who plays Carol, presents a devastating portrayal, holding it all in even as it threatens to explode. Anatomy of a Suicide by a cutting-edge, award-winning British playwright Alice Birch, explores the inheritance of trauma from mother to daughter and her daughter. Carol’s daughter, Anna, struggles with addiction and self-harm while her daughter, Bonnie, haunted by the past, always on her guard, unable to forge bonds and relationships, will, eventually, take a radical route to finish a tragic legacy.

Anatomy of a Suicide is playing at The Box, and is the latest from one of the country’s finest directors, Mohit Takalkar. The play will be presented on December 7, 5 pm and 8.30 pm. Takalkar demands much from the performers, the men, who share the lives of the three women, and the women, and the stellar cast delivers. Amba Suhasini Jhala and Mallika Singh Hanspal, especially, bring out the layers and complexity of their protagonists’ situations.

The lives of the three women are performed simultaneously on a stage marked like the game of knots and crosses. Every so often, conversations from one era enter another, underlining the fluidity of time in generational trauma. At two-and-a-half hours, with a break, the play keeps the audience in its grip, engaged and involved.

Takalkar has indicated that the play is the closest he has come to his own story. “The text opened wounds I have carried for years and yet, strangely, it kept offering light. I found myself breaking in new ways, but also learning that breaking can be a form of breathing. The rehearsal room had people thinking, feeling, holding one another through a story that demands courage,” he writes in the Director’s Note before sharing that he has “walked too close to the edge before. Twice”.

As the director also points out, “Anatomy of a Suicide is not about death. It is about what remains. The anatomy of survival, of holding on, of finding language again”.

Dipanita Nath

Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life. Professional Background Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint. Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series). Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season: 1. Climate & Environment "Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week. "How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site. "Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner. 2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage "Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle. "Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport. "The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle. 3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc" "Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema. "Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups. "How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor. Signature Style Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune. X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read More

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