Free Outgoing

Synopsis

Malini is a single mother raising her teenage children Sharan and Deepa in Chennai. Their lives are upended when a graphic video of Deepa being intimate with a boy surfaces and goes viral.

Through its unflinching portrayal of a family torn apart by a teenage indiscretion, the play examines themes of slut-shaming, parental guilt, moral policing, and the vulturous media’s role in creating public spectacles. Chandrasekhar’s nuanced, authentic characters grapple with intense social stigma as their lives spiral out of control due to one mistake compounded by immense pressure from institutions meant to protect them. The play exposes the harsh realities of how quickly a family, especially a woman as a single parent, can become vilified and stripped of dignity in Indian society over issues of perceived sexual transgression.