Earlier this year, the Andhra Pradesh government banned a 100-year-old play named‘Chintamani Padya Natakam’.
• ‘Chintamani Padya Natakam’ was written in 1920 by playwright Kallakuri Narayana Rao, who was also a social reformer.
• The play is about Chintamani, a courtesan and a devotee of Lord Krishna, who finds salvation by singing bhajans.
• She is courted by Subbi Shetty, a businessman from the Arya Vysya community, who loses his wealth and family due to his attraction to Chintamani.
• The original play had a social message, but over the years, it has been modified purely for entertainment.
• Much of the play sees central character Subbi Shetty made fun of, especially for losing all his wealth to his vices.
• The Arya Vysya community has been petitioning governments for several years to ban the play, saying it portrays them in a negative light. The play is exhibited across the state, mainly in rural areas, during festivals and fairs.
• After reviewing the contents of the play, the state government had banned it on January 17 this year.