Acattlefarmerwhoaspirestobeastageactor,Dasworkswithacosmopolitantheatretroupeheadedbyanill-tempered,foul-moutheddirector.Whenthedirector’stantrumsunearthburiedresentmentsamongthegroup’smembers,theplaytheyarerehearsingthreatenstocomeapart. Actorsarecattle,AlfredHitchcockonceremarked.TheyoungandathleticDassurelyfeelstheweightofthisnotoriousmaximonsomelevel.Afterall,hetendstohiscowseverymorningbeforeheadingintothecitytoworkwithaneclectictheatretroupe.Here,heandhisactorcolleaguesaregiventhelivestocktreatmentbytheirill-tempered,foul-moutheddirectorBhoominathan.Ashisintenseandtoxicoutburstsbegintostrainrelationshipsbetweenthegroup,Bhoominathan’splaymayfallapart. NishanthKalidindi’scharmingdocufictionTheatreoffersanimpressionistic,lightheartedlookattheinternaldynamicsofacosmopolitantheatregroup,comprisingreal-lifestagepractitionerslivinginthepreviouslyFrenchoutpostofPondicherryinSouthernIndia. Developedintipsy,nervousandoftenfuzzyimages,Kalidindi’sfilmderivesitsenergyfromaconstantclashoftones,landscapes,languagesandmoods.Theatricalelements,suchastheactors’intimatebodilypresenceandtheiroverlappinglivevoices,collidewithapointedlycinematictendencytocutinandoutoflong-runningconversationstowhichtheviewerfeelslikeaprivilegedoutsider.Withitsappealinglylight,mosaic-likeapproachtonarrative,Theatrefurnishesahappy-go-luckyworkthatisn’tafraidtogetlost.