‘A Study of Fear’: A dark comedy with a light touch

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Last week, Prithvi Theatre played host to a pertinent theatrical performance. Titled A Study of Fear, the play employed humour and subtle messaging to delve into the complex subject of “othering" in today’s society.

Written and directed by Atif Ally Dagman, 26, the play opens with a character, Amit Srivastava, getting a phone call that his childhood friend, Amir, has died. It is through the former’s eyes that the audience navigates the story. Unaware of what a Muslim funeral is like, Amit lands up at the grieving household, dressed in a black suit and tie, and carrying flowers and incense sticks.

Though Dagman employs humour to play up Amit’s awkwardness, such repeated sequences also drive home some uncomfortable truths. For one, the performance highlights the prejudices that society harbours, perhaps sometimes subconsciously so. Vikram Phukan, theatre director and stage commentator, feels that A Study of Fear employs an interesting treatment.

For one, the contemporary realities are presented from the lens of an insular man, who might have been complicit in this “othering" but unknowingly. “At the start of the performance, such a person, sitting in the audience, might think that they understand the perspective of the Muslim community. But the cast and crew keep driving home the fact that they actually don’t till the very end," he says.