In the television world of storytelling, Somya Tewari missed seeing authentic conversations between women. “They are either shown to be too polished or too mellow. This is not how we talk,” says the writer of the play Dirty Biryani to be staged at Rangbhoomi Spaces in Hyderabad.
Directed by Snehil Basoya and written by Somya, who is also the founder of Bengaluru-based Madari Productions, the play follows three women’s lives and experiences on stage. Theatre lovers get to see the drama unfolding when three highly-opinated women of different ages are together in a space with no way out.
Somya Tewari | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Dirty Biryani is a new production with nine shows since March this year. The play has dialogues in Hindi and English interspersed with humour and songs. When Somya looked at her own conversations with her friends, relatives and co-workers, she realised how different yet unique each one’s personality is.
“We are sometimes loud and humorous but not always loving, emotional, submissive or correct about everything. We are angry, serious and also confront each other a lot.” Dirty Biryani has many pop culture references and contemporary topics. It shows conflicts among women and their differences of opinion in topics such as mental health, politics, men and how to see, manage, talk about them, or what to expect from them.
Finding empathy despite the disagreements | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
As Somya’s writing process continued, the idea evolved into finding empathy and female solidarity despite the disagreements and differences. The crux of the play highlights the underlying emotion of a collective bond that women share among themselves. “Each generation has their own idea of how to be a good/bad woman and what is right/wrong. A certain group might find some conversations uncomfortable but they will also find something relatable in others.”
Presenting intense conversations in a lighthearted way was a challenge for Somya. The 100-minute musical play also has actors express and communicate through physical humour without words. “Although women are the main characters, the play is relevant for men too as it talks about human issues, the emotional ups and downs and conflicts. I think even men can imagine having those conflicts within themselves or with their fathers or colleagues.”
Scene from the play | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The ‘biryani’ in the title comes from its layered conversations. Just like a pot ofbiryani bursts with flavours and layers, the play’s different elements — words, main narrative and subtext, has a nuance of its own. The conversations are also messy as they have conflicts in them which gives it the title, Dirty Biryani.
Somya hopes theatre lovers in Hyderabad will delight in these diverse flavours created on stage. “When we decided on Hyderabad, we were like, ‘finally we are going to a city where biryani is a huge thing and probably will generate some kind of conversation too.”
Dirty Biryani to be staged at Rangbhoomi Spaces on June 18 at 5 pm and 8 pm; Tickets: Bookmyshow
Published - July 16, 2026 07:47 am IST