We sat down with Anamika Srivastava (co-writer/actor), Arista Abbabatulla (director) and Pallavi Kumar (co-writer), to speak about their new show Ghost Grandma. The work is a comedy that paints an authentic portrait of South Asian culture and intergenerational familial relationships.

TICKETS: https://www.unrestrictedview.co.uk/events/ghost-grandma/ 

Ghost Grandma has been described as a portrait of South Asian culture, memory, relationships and the ties between generations. What inspired you to bring it to the stage?

In the UK, South Asian culture is often known for its food and places, but the way people actually live is frequently misunderstood. We wanted to bring these authentic experiences to the stage. We love working with comedy and were drawn to something in South Asian culture that holds high stakes and drama, turning it into a source of humor. That’s how we landed on property, something people literally fight over in South Asia. Another aspect we wanted to explore is the care and importance given to material possessions. Immigrants protect these not for their monetary value but for the stories they hold, the memories they carry, and the hard work they represent. These small details reflect both culture and humanity, connecting the audience to something universal.

Comedy plays an important role in the piece. How does humour help you — and the audience access moments that might otherwise feel too painful or heavy?

Humour is a powerful way to open conversations that might otherwise feel too painful or intimidating. In Ghost Grandma, comedy draws the audience in and helps them feel at ease. Once their emotional guard is lowered, the play gently surprises them with deeper questions about relationships, loss, and letting go. In many South Asian cultures, death is not seen solely as an ending but also as a transition or a new beginning. Mourning exists alongside warmth, memory, and even laughter, and that sensibility shapes the tone of the play. Using humour allows the audience to engage with themes of grief, loneliness, and mortality without feeling overwhelmed. Rather than asking people to brace themselves, the play invites them to find moments of light within the dark.

You’re trained in both contemporary theatre and ancient Indian dramaturgy. Did those traditions influence how you approached this role as actor/writer?

Anamika, founder of Indunatyasabha and co-writer who also plays Dee in Ghost, Grandma, brings this world to life in both roles. She experiences the script in two very different ways. As a writer, she focuses on the rhythm, pauses, and emotional flow, discovering the heart of each moment. As an actor, she draws from her training in the Natyashastra and its eight Rasas to navigate Dee’s emotional highs and lows from within, while contemporary naturalism keeps her grounded and present in every interaction. An old story she read as a child about an elderly woman quietly eating leftovers after a wedding while her granddaughter watched has stayed with her ever since. Small details, like Dee eating “Pinni”, grew naturally from that blend of theory and lived experience, shaped alongside co-writer Pallavi’s own memories.

This project is part of InduNatyasaba, which is rooted in building community through storytelling. How does that sense of purpose shape the way you work?

  South Asian actors tend to be the only one in a production, so it is special to work on a piece that champions South Asian creatives as a community. From the first rehearsal, it was clear that the show brings out authentic, relatable, lived South Asian experiences that we can all see a bit of ourselves in. This allows actors to bring authentic parts of their identity to the creative process as we analyse the text. We also celebrate strong female characters with a majority female cast and crew. At the same time, show invites audiences from all communities and backgrounds to look beyond stereotypes and see that, at the end of the day, our differences can be celebrated, and in some ways we are not so different after all.

What kinds of reactions or conversations are you hoping audiences will have after the show?

If someone in the audience leaves the theatre and calls their mum, grandmother, or a loved one, we’ll call it a success. Ghost, Grandma explores empathy as a bridge across generations, showing both the joys and challenges of connecting with family. We hope audiences leave inspired to nurture the important relationships in their lives and to recognise the fleeting, precious nature of time. The play also explores found family, with characters creating love and support through the people around them. At the same time, it champions authentic South Asian stories, offering a glimpse into lived experiences rarely seen in UK theatre. We invite audiences to not only enjoy the story but also to follow and support our ongoing journey as a company bringing these voices to the stage.