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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.cloudjoi.com/77688/PosterCast_landscape-(1).png" style="width: 100%;" />

Leela Jhansi is a 13-year-old girl who leads a happy and contented life in a remote village. The only ambition she and her grandmother share is to get her educated in order to secure a better future. Destiny, however, has ordained otherwise. When the richest man in the village, Damodaram proposes to marry Leela, promising wealth and a secured future, Leela&rsquo;s father Palwankar begins to dream of riches &ndash; after all, why must he deprive his daughter of such an opportunity?

<hr />
<h3>Production Team</h3>

Producer: Fa Abdul 
Director: Fa Abdul 
Playwright: Fa Abdul 
Stage Manager: Eiyha Abdullah 
Cast: Chrisalynn Lim, Sidhart Joe Dev, Lucille Dass, Suresh Ramsky,&nbsp;Monica Mohan, Ivan Gabriel, Billy Ooi, Menan Mohan &amp;&nbsp;Sri Kugan.

<hr />
Title of Production: Leela Jhansi 
Tagline: The fault is not in our stars&hellip; but in ourselves. 
Date/Time: 3 &amp; 4 May @ 8pm, 5 May @ 3pm 
Language: English 
Venue: Auditorium A, Level 5, Komtar, Penang (Get your direction guide <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEFtBjeq7Eg" target="_blank">here</a>)

Malaysian Ringgit

Leela Jhansi

Is a young child capable of falling in love? Are all parents who marry their child off to someone much older, in the wrong? Are all men who marry young girls, sex predators? Where do we draw the line between right and wrong?

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Big Nose Productions

KOMTAR is the tallest building in Penang and the sixth tallest skyscraper in Malaysia. It is also a hub of interconnectivity and traffic, with the KOMTAR Bus Terminal and its location at the junction of multiple major roads in Penang. In close proximity are shopping centrals Prangin Mall and 1st Avenue, and Hotel Jen, Cititel Express and The Wembley for accommodation options.

Located at the 5th Floor of KOMTAR are the Banquet Hall and Auditoriums A, C and F, the auditoriums are specially designed to accommodate conferences, lectures, conventions, seminars, meeting presentations and other medium-scale events.

Auditorium A, Level 5, Komtar, Penang

Penang

Fa Abdul is a playwright, director, columnist and a TV scriptwriter. Her works are Malaysian flavoured, filled with human elements and cultural relevance.

In 2013, Fa won the Best Educational TV Programme award at the International Science Film Festival, Germany. In 2016, she represented Malaysia at the Asian Women Writers Festival, Singapore. She has also received several awards for her involvement in theatre - the Mercedes Benz Creative Excellence Award (2015 & 2021) & the Kakiseni Boh Cameronian Award (2016).

Fa believes storytelling is a powerful tool in encouraging dialogues on prominent issues that ties us together as a society.

Fa Abdul

Sidhart Joe Dev, a performance and screen artist from Penang, has cultivated a career in both screen and stage, producing and hosting everything from talk shows and lifestyle programs to podcasts. His passion for theatre has led him to work as a writer, director, and actor, with performances in productions such as A Streetcar Named Desire, Atomic Jaya, Antigone, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, and Jungle Book The Musical. Beginning his theatre journey in Penang in 2012, he laid a strong foundation for his love of storytelling and performance. To further support his creative pursuits, he established his own company in 2023, JDEV Studios, dedicated to bringing his work to life on screen and stage.

In 2022, Sidhart entered the Kuala Lumpur art scene by participating in Joe Hasham's You, Me, and The Big C. His remarkable performance in the SHORT+SWEET Theatre festival earned him multiple accolades, including Best Actor, Best Director, Best Production, Audience Choice Award, and Mercedes Benz Creative Excellence Award for the play Trash.

In 2023, Sidhart featured in Fa Abdul’s monologue series His Story and Theatresauce’s They All Die at The End, an all-Indian male ensemble show exploring themes of Indian masculinity, identity, and family history. He also portrayed Sultan Mahmud Shah in Joe Hasham’s modern retelling of Jebat. Malaysiakini Press praised his performance, describing him as a "narcissistic, egomaniacal Sultan Mahmud Shah, adding depth to a comic book villain”.

Returning to the SHORT+SWEET Theatre Festival in 2023, Sidhart showcased his talents in the play I’ll Be There for You, which received several awards, including Best Newcomers, Best Production, Audience Choice Award, and The Creative Excellence Award. His performance and direction earned him awards for Best Actor and Best Director, reinforcing his stature in the festival.

In 2024, Sidhart took on a meaningful role in Fa Abdul’s Leela Jhansi, a poignant production that delves into the struggles of a child bride. He also joined Twisted, a whimsical children’s theatre show which reimagines classic fairytales with a playful twist. Additionally, he participated in the 2024 Georgetown Festival theatre lineup, performing in Theatresauce's all-male ensemble play, They All Die at The End. Closing out the year, Sidhart collaborated with long-time theatre partners from Penang to produce a new show he co-wrote, titled Tewas: No Light at the End of the Tunnel, exploring themes of bullying, resilience and struggle.

In 2025, Sidhart continued to broaden his creative footprint with five diverse and compelling theatrical and film projects.

In August, he produced Wacky Double Bill, a sharp, witty, and socially observant piece by acclaimed Malaysian playwright Adriana Nordin Manan. Presented as two back-to-back short plays, the production offered distinct yet thematically connected reflections on contemporary Malaysian life.

In October, he returned to the SHORT+SWEET Film category with his short film Ten Minutes Together, which was warmly received for its strong writing and went on to win Best Script. In the theatre category, Sidhart then debuted Ten Minutes Together – Part 2, a new short play that expands the emotional landscape of the original. Blending heartfelt storytelling with sharp, character-driven dialogue, the piece explored family, secrecy, and generational tension and received both The Festival Director’s Award and The Actors Studio Foundation Award.

Later Sidhart was also involved in What the Elders Left Us Festival, serving as a core production member for the festival. The project highlighted the work and legacy of Malaysian artists from the 1960s and was produced in collaboration with Instant Cafe Theatre. This marked his first formal collaboration with Instant Cafe Theatre, expanding his practice into curatorial and festival-making work while deepening his engagement with Malaysia’s artistic history.

To close out the year, Sidhart brought Tewas: No Light at the End of the Tunnel to Kuala Lumpur audiences for the first time. Co-written and produced in 2024, this powerful production examines the realities of bullying, resilience, and institutional failure in Malaysian schools. Following a successful debut in Penang, the KL staging. Tewas went on to become a critically well-received production, earning strong audience response and establishing Sidhart as a creator capable of handling socially grounded, emotionally driven work. The success of Tewas marked a new phase in his artistic trajectory, paving the way for larger and more ambitious projects.

In 2026, Sidhart will be seen producing Bebenang (working title), a large-scale production co-produced with Leysha Al-Yahya and directed by Farah Rani. The project brings together Malaysian artists from multiple disciplines to explore questions of national identity through verbatim theatre, and is set to be one of the most ambitious and significant productions in the Klang Valley that year.

He is also planning collaborations with local Chinese theatre troupes as part of his broader interest in bridging the gap between English-language and Chinese-language theatre. Through this, Sidhart aims to explore the creative possibilities of Malaysia’s local languages and contribute to a more interconnected, diverse performing arts landscape.

Sidhart Joe Dev

Klang Valley

Ivan Alexander Francis Gabriel is an actor whose love for the stage began at the tender age of seven, when he made his theatrical debut as Prince Charming in Cinderella, a role he finds amusingly ironic, as he often jokes that he “plays” the Prince-Not-So-Charming in real life.

Since that first taste of the spotlight, he has taken on a wide range of roles in local theatre, earning a reputation for his dedication and versatility. This solid foundation in live performance naturally opened the door to independent and short films, where he continues to expand his creative boundaries and bring stories to life with authenticity and nuance.

While Gabriel enjoys the craft of working in front of the camera, his true passion lies in the raw immediacy of live theatre. He thrives on the electric energy of a live audience and relishes the adrenaline that pulses through him in those moments before the curtain rises. For him, the stage is far more than a platform, it is where he is fully present, where he feels truly alive, and where his art finds its purest expression.

Beyond his work as an actor, Ivan Gabriel is an independent curator based in Penang, whose practice centres on care, contextual understanding, and collaboration. As the in-house curator at Hin Bus Depot, he plays a key role in shaping exhibitions and public programmes that foreground critical voices and contemporary narratives. Working regionally, Ivan continues to champion artists and stories that challenge, connect, and bridge communities.

Ivan Gabriel

Here's Lucille: this retired but 'rewired' lecturer dubs herself a 'seenager' - seen herself through different ages on stage and in life! Performing with head and heart intelligence, and driven by passion, Lucille has been involved in 30+ productions - Bangsawan and Ko-Tai included. Will she be taking her final curtain call as 'Dadima' (grandma)in Fa Abdul's "Leela Jhansi?" She also featured in Fa's "Tales from the Bedroom" (2018), and "Short 'n Sweet" 2017 production. She was last seen in Jay Menon's "Memes" (2019). The doyen of Malaysian theatre, the late Krishen Jit, once told her, "Never give up theatre. It's in your blood." This inspired her to continue treading the boards...

Lucille Dass

Meet Monica Mohan, ✨ an educator and passionate storyteller who adores sharing tales with young children, relishing the joy of seeing their eyes light up with wonder.
 Monica is an avid reader who finds immense pleasure in watching stories come to life, especially on the theater stage, which she believes is the most immediate way for one person to connect with another's humanity, as eloquently stated by Oscar Wilde.
Monica has been part of remarkable productions, such as Tales of Mamak 2016 ,  "My Dark Sister" by Fa Abdul and "The Plague Upon Your House" by Penang Players, under the direction of Jay Menon.
She has  been a part of the "MEME" a musical teather where she was a part of the singing team. She has recently acted in a Spice and Curry production "parvai etrar- Blind) and Ektiar  2023 and "My Journey , My Way"  in 2024

Monica

Monica Mohan.

Billy Aurélia Ooi

Photos 1 -3 by JDevStudios (TEWAS)
Photos 4 - 7 by Sherwynd Kessler (Leela Jhansi)
Photo 8 by Alpha Moments Photography (Leela Jhansi)
Photo 9 by Chew Seng Cheong (Jebat)
Photo 10 by FadyFox (Jebat)
Photo 11 by Goh Bong Hiang (Jebat)
Photos 12 -14 by David ST Loh
_______________________________________________________________________

Chrisalynn is an actor and mover who strongly believes that the stage is a powerful gateway to pondering and discussion in the community. Since performing in her first full-length production at the age of 14, Chrisalynn has worked with local and international names such as Joe Hasham OAM and Dato' Faridah Merican, Aida Redza, Jeth Leang, Michelle Quah, Fa Abdul, Zhafir Muzani, and Nicole Stinton. From "Leela Jhansi" (2024), to "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (2023) and "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" (2019), she has had the enjoyment of exploring the portrayal of a miscellany of characters from differing shows. Besides acting, Chrisalynn has dabbled at varying degrees in the areas of dance, rap, writing, public speaking, gymnastics and acro, and various sports.

CHRISALYNN

Chrisalynn Lim

Sri Kugan is a young actor who made his debut in Fa Abdul's Leela Jhansi in 2024. 

Trained in public speaking, he has gained accolades in the field of public speaking and is a professional speaker. 

With an academic background in law, Sri Kugan graduated from the University of London and is currently pursuing his Certificate of Legal Practice (CLP).

He firmly believes that acting is an enriching experience for the soul and is committed to playing difficult roles to continuously challenge himself.

Kugan

Sri Kugan

Suresh Ramskay is an actor, writer, and director who believes stories are just another way of asking life awkward questions. He’s passionate about exploring human flaws, moral grey areas, and why nobody ever sticks to the script - on stage, on camera and in real life. When he’s not performing or creating, he’s probably lost in a movie, scribbling ideas, or convincing himself that “thinking about writing” still counts as writing.

Suresh Ramskay

Menan started to dabble in teather in the peak of Covid 19 in a short play named - Yen Karuppu aka ( my dark sister ) written and directed by Fa Abdul. He later continued in All about Letchumi in 2021 written by Rusaidi and directed by Ilya Rusaidi . He also acted in Pelita Ajaib and Jikey as the Genie and Awang a project under MyPenangCreative.

Leela Jhansi

RM28.00

RM28.00

RM28.00

RM28.00

Is a young child capable of falling in love? Are all parents who marry their child off to someone much older, in the wrong? Are all men who marry young girls, sex predators? Where do we draw the line between right and wrong?

Performers & Creatives

Fa Abdul

Sidhart Joe Dev

Ivan Gabriel

Lucille Dass

Monica

Billy Aurélia Ooi

CHRISALYNN

Kugan

Suresh Ramskay

Menan

Ticketing

8:00PM (GMT+8)

8:00PM (GMT+8)

3:00PM (GMT+8)

About

Production Team

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