Kheyechish?

Kheyechish?—“Ate?”—is her mom’s daily question, usually met with a groan. Today, she admits: “I haven’t eaten all day… or days.”

Earning ₹18k a month, with ₹11.5k on rent and ₹6.5k stretched over groceries and unpaid rehearsals (where dinner’s free), she survives on vada pav buffets. But today? No rehearsal, no dinner. Just hunger.

Shashidhar, the neighbourhood crow (named after her dad), usually mocks her with smug caws. Today, he’s oddly kind. Inspired, she heads to buy ingredients for Alu Posto and Phena Bhat— ironically, famine-born dishes. At the store, the bill laughs louder than her purse. Defeated, she walks out empty-handed.

Retelling the story, she cooks for the audience: “If we broke folks no longer turn up where food is laid out, they may think we don’t need anything. But if we come and are unable to buy, they’ll know how it is”

Inspired by Brecht’s poem The Shopper, Kheyechish? blends humour, hunger, and heart— a tasteful tragedy supported by the DSFM Niloufer Sagar Alumni Production Grant.

Creator/Performer:
Meghna Roy Choudhury
With 24 years of Bharatanatyam training and a Physics master’s degree, I bring my interdisciplinary artistry to this production. I’ve trained in Kalaripayattu, performed in five languages across genres, and collaborated with NGOs through Theatre in Education. 

Meghna is passionate about exploring innovative storytelling techniques and reinventing theatrical aesthetics. Her work aims to discover a unique theatrical language that resonates with her cultural and artistic roots. In her directorial debut, The Apology, she seamlessly blends the vocabulary of Indian classical art forms with theatre, creating a harmonious balance between tradition and innovation.

Her dedication has been recognized with prestigious accolades, including the DSFM Niloufer Sagar Alumni Production Grant (2023 and 2024) and the Parivartan Annual Grant (2024-25). She is an INLAKS Theatre Awards Recipient this year.

Team:

Written and Directed by: Meghna Roy Choudhury
Dramaturgy by: Siddhesh Purkar
Performed by: Meghna Roy Choudhury & Dhanesh Gopalakrishnan
Light designed by: Rahul Rai
Light operated by: Utkarshh Babbar
Sound designed and operated by: Sagar Dahale
Set designed by: Ravi Choudhary
Mentored by: Akshay Gandhi
Poster designed by: Aakriti Chandravanshi