About the work
„Kithaab“ is a Malayalam-language play by screenwriter and director Rafeeq Mangalassery. It premiered in November 2018, performed by students of Memunda Higher Secondary School in Vadakara, northern Kerala, for a school drama competition.
Plot
A Muslim girl dreams of calling the Adhān, the Islamic call to prayer traditionally reserved for men. She challenges the treatment of women in her community: she dances with friends despite the ban, takes food withheld from women, and finally insists on calling the Adhān herself.
Cultural significance
After winning the district round (best play, best actress), protests by Muslim organisations in 2018 blocked its planned entry to the state-level Kerala State School Art Festival, and the school withdrew the play. Writers including K. Satchidanandan publicly criticised the religious groups' interference with artistic freedom.