Ollantay

Translated and adapted for the Indian context, the play ‘Ollantay’ is set in the town of Cusco located in the Southern-Eastern part of Peru. The story centres on the life of Ollantay, a brave Incan warrior who serves under Pachacútec, the Inca of Cusco. He finds himself in an uncompromising situation where he must choose between his love and his duty. Little does Ollantay know that the choice that confronts him will affect the lives of everyone around him and threaten to disrupt the status quo. His is a harrowing tale about how the social construct plays a crucial role in every choice that one makes, and doesn’t.

Exploring themes of patriarchy, class and morality, the text weaves an intricate story based on pride, betrayal and love. The play takes on the narrative structure of an epic, depicting the promises on which the Incan culture was built and sustained. We draw parallels between the Indian subculture and how these ideas have existed in the Indian, as well as the Incan society, for centuries. This play takes on the narrative structure of an Epic, depicting the premises on which the Incan Culture was built. It likens itself to the Indian Sub-Culture and how these concepts have existed in the Indian, as well as, Incan Society for centuries.

This show was commissioned by the Embassy of Peru in India and supported by the Instituto Cervantes Nueva Delhi. The production was shot in September 2021 with social distancing protocols, having been rehearsed and developed remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.