Written nearly 15 years ago, and having resurfaced in different forms before finally finding its way back to theatre through Motley Productions, Phukatiya (freeloader) is set on the streets of Mumbai. The play follows a group of small-time bhais caught in a web of unpaid debts, fragile friendships, and bruised egos. As rivalries grow and loyalties are tested, it uses street humour and confrontation to examine masculinity, power, and the language these men live by. “It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for many years, and at the age of 35, I just got a burning desire to do this play,” says Vivaan Shah, writer and director.

City vibes, all

Mumbai’s street dialect is central to Phukatiya. Shah notes that it is often exaggerated or caricatured in popular culture, losing its lived-in quality. “People who are not from the city find the dialect hard to grasp,” he says, describing it as coarse, while emphasising that it carries an authenticity that cannot be softened without losing its meaning.