Ekatha's new play explores how borders wound ordinary lives

Borders are not just lines on a map. They are habits of thought, ways of deciding who matters and who does not, of determining where compassion ends and suspicion begins. In Birds of Border, director KP Rajeev, who runs the Chennai-based theatre group Ekatha, turns this idea inside out, treating the border not as a question of statecraft but as a quiet corrosion of intimacy. Set between Kashmir and Kerala, the play follows ordinary people who live within invisible enclosures of love, faith, and belonging. Rajeev is not interested in political posturing. I dont want to talk about the politics of the borders. It keeps changing. I wanted to talk about how it affects ordinary people, he says. The idea of using these two regions was deliberate. Kerala represents both religious harmony and religious excess. Though these are heavy topics nationalism, identity, suffering they are reported, debated and over-emphasised. For most people, borders dont affect everyday life. But the suffering that comes from them is something everyone can relate to, he explains. At its core, Birds of Border examines human nature under pressure the choices people make when love and duty collide. These emotions suffering and empathy exist everywhere. At the end of the day, its about relationships, how they are made and how people live through them, shares Rajeev. The play also celebrates the resilience of modern women, especially in Keralas context of growing gender awareness. This character is very strong because of her background and her belief in humanity and independence, he notes. The strength of women, in Rajeevs vision, becomes a mirror to societys fractured morality. Birds of Border continues the social engagement that has defined Rajeevs earlier works such as The Guests of God, which used the ritual art of Theyyam to confront caste oppression. Both plays reflect his belief that theatre should awaken empathy rather than anger. Performed at Chennais Museum Theatre, Birds of Border promises an immersive experience its music and set design crafted to heighten emotion rather than overwhelm it. As Rajeev puts it, Ekatha wants people to reflect, for everyone who comes and watches. Birds of Border will be staged on October 12 and 26 at 6 pm at the Museum Theatre, Egmore. Tickets are available on BookMyShow.