Ashiqa Salvan's new thought-provoking play Aunty Moxie is Delulu
Manoj Rahul
When one is hurt, and the feeling of being wronged takes hold, how do you navigate the shifting currents between forgiveness and revenge? Is it nobler to forgive, or merely easier? Is seeking justice a virtuous act, or a self-perpetuating cycle of violence? Are we all just moving endlessly across a continuum of revenge and forgiveness? These questions beat at the heart of Aunty Moxie is Delulu, a bold new performance written, directed, and performed by Ashiqa Salvan.
The play premiered on April 27 to a receptive audience in Puducherry, with the support of Adishakti Laboratory's Theatriculate Fellowship.
With irreverent creativity, Ashiqa weaves a world where ancient forces and everyday eccentricity meet: the fierce Greek goddess of vengeance, Nemesis; the serene, sorrowful river goddess Ganga; and the eccentric, unpredictable Aunty Moxie who lives with 'Meow', her laser-chasing cat. Their entangled narratives echo the internal battlegrounds we all traverse when confronted with betrayal, injustice and pain.
Ashiqa's performance is characterised by a vibrant, physical style, channeling energy through movement as much as through words. Live jazz vocals thread through the action, giving the performance an emotional texture that shifts from mischievous to melancholic.
Aunty Moxie is absurd and profound, naive and wise, comic and tragic. As we see her vignettes woven together with sections featuring Ganga and Nemesis, we are reminded of the conflicting pulls within us all: the need to strike back, to reclaim dignity through action — and the equally strong yearning to forgive, to find release from the corrosive grip of anger.
Tough questions
'Delulu' — slang for 'delusional', becomes an ironic key to the piece. Perhaps, Ashiqa suggests, to forgive truly, or to believe in pure justice, is itself a kind of delusion. Yet perhaps, paradoxically, it is precisely such 'delusions' that keep us moving, dreaming and seeking a future different from the past.
With its sharp humour, emotional vulnerability, and mythic resonance, Aunty Moxie is Delulu invites audiences not into answers, but into a deeper space, grappling with questions that haunt both the personal and collective soul.
Ashiqa's first solo play is all set to embark on its journey across the theatre circuit, bringing its provocative themes to audiences across India.
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