Niall Moorjani starts off their show by humorously recalling their grandfather Mohan’s stories growing up, an effective precursor to their repeated use of humour throughout. The highlight of this approach is Moorjani’s take on the meeting held to decide the partition of British India, as they expertly recreate and skewer the pompous, nepotistic attitudes of the colonial officials present. However, underneath the jokes is a greater emotional weight borne by the central narrative – that of Mohan’s most serious story.

The story in question is one of an 11-year-old who witnessed the violence and human displacement caused by the aforementioned meeting. In Moorjani’s telling, they emphasise the anguish of Mohan being torn apart from his family, witnessing the carnage between faiths on a train carriage and in the most harrowing account, escaping from potential abuse.

Moorjani earlier highlights the ludicrously underprepared nature of the partition process, placing the decision in the hands of an inexperienced individual, but it’s through Mohan’s eyes that they make the audience aware of the true cost of human suffering behind a detached imperial decision.

Accompanied by the rhythmic tabla drumming of Sodhi, Moorjani effortlessly transports the audience to a variety of settings from their grandparents’ living room to Mohan’s family farm in Sindh concluding at a present day train journey. Their storytelling skills and stage presence are well-honed by this point and they skilfully balance drama and comedy to great effect.

However, it’s the train journey coda that highlights the importance of telling Mohan’s story. Moorjani recounts an encounter on a train that shows how the glorification of the British Empire and colonial attitudes towards India have persevered. This, along with Moorjani’s earlier invoking of the Israeli occupation of Palestine as a similar colonial narrative, emphasises the relevance of Mohan better than any lengthy article ever could.

Mohan: A Partition Story is at Above at Pleasance Courtyard until Mon 31 Aug 2026