Voices in the Night

Theatre director Tripurari Sharma on turning the life of a call centre worker into a layered human drama.

delhi play, delhi based director, tripurari sharma, aadha chand, mandi house, play at mandi house, donald trump, Sangeet Natak Akademi, indian express talk

Scenes from Tripurari Sharma’s play, Aadha Chand Photos: S Thayagarajan

In the way its members take on different names and voices, a call centre is quite like a theatre,” says Delhi-based director Tripurari Sharma. Just when Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner in American presidential race, was mimicking a call centre employee from India, Sharma — winner of the Sangeet Natak Akademi award — was creating a play, Aadha Chand, exploring the dualities that come with an outsourced job. Sharma’s recent subjects include history, through Dara and Azad Maulana, and urban loneliness in Shaayar…Shutter Down. Excerpts from an interview:

Most discussions about call centres died down years ago. What brings you to the subject now?

So many people come to Delhi to work in call centres. They usually have a lower middle-class upbringing and suddenly find themselves engaging with a range of international clients on professional issues. I was intrigued by this act of changing one’s name, taking on a persona, building a personality and what it does to the person who is caught between a real and a make-believe world. I have a question, which remains unanswered, about our voice. Is it real or virtual? It is real at the time of speaking but it disappears a moment later. Aadha Chand is an exploration along these scales.

How did you compose the many diverse experiences of call-centre employees in a single script?

The play follows four characters through several episodes. I have made a taxi driver the narrator. To counter him, I have a thela-wallah, who captures the traditional rhythm of India. The four characters are caught between the wheels of the taxi and the thela. The girls are Malati, with the call name of Margaret, who did not take admission into MPhil, and Rama or Rita, who finished school with great difficulty and feels liberated in the call centre, with its false nails and the freedom to be out at night. Her boyfriend is Deepak or David, whose private and professional lives collide when Malati gets attracted to a caller with a nice voice. Vishnu, who calls himself Raymond, is the son of a mechanic and symbolises the shift in economy from hand-made tangibles to virtual services.

Does the politics extend to the music and dance?

The music is popular and modern and we have used tap dance because it becomes a metaphor for the lives in the play. It looks good but is structured and difficult and requires practice.

How was it working with the National School of Drama Repertory actors, which contains varying levels of experience?

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We have all 20 actors of the Repertory and some are trained while others are not. We had to work a little harder but they bring different rhythms to the play; that is exciting.

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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