New British Asian, queer romantic comedy Rajesh and Naresh begins its run at the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe August 3. Written by Arjun Singh, it plays at Old Lab, Summerhall through August 14.
Taking place in 2018 right after India decriminalized homosexuality, the play tells the story of Rajesh, a handsome and successful mama’s boy, who meets Naresh, an awkward and cute craftsman, in a Mumbai nightclub during a trip to India. Brahmdeo Shannon Ramana and Madhav Vasantha star as Rajesh and Naresh, respectively. The couple faces long distance and culture clashes as Rajesh figures out how to introduce his mom to the man he fell in love with–who is definitely not the wife Rajesh’s mother was planning on.
The 60-minute two-hander has its roots in a meeting between the play’s creator and producer Arjun Singh and its director Sophie Cairns. Cairns, the founder of ŠITE Productions, encouraged Singh to write a short play in 2019 for inclusion in a variety performance. The play, originally 10 minutes long, was then workshopped and debuted at Theatre Deli where it played a sold-out performance.
Created and produced by Singh with direction by Cairns, the creative team also features writer James Ireland.
