This is one of the most harrowing, unsettling, and mesmerizing plays I’ve ever seen.

Ten hours after leaving the theatre, I’m still shaken by its uniquely poetic horror, and marvelling at the complexity of what acclaimed playwright Anosh Irani weaves in Bombay Black’s dense 75 minutes.

Padma (Nimet Kanji) and her daughter, Apsara (Agam Darshi) live in an apartment by the sea where Apsara dances for men and Padma is, essentially, her madam. When the blind Kamal (Munish Sharma) arrives for his appointment, he upends their lives in unimaginable ways. The performances are all stellar, but Kanji is unforgettable as the diabolical Padma, who belongs in the hall of fame of horrifying fictional mothers.