Growing up, we hear tales of cultures woven with struggle, defiance, and triumph—some etched in history books, others immortalised through art. These narratives remain alive in modern times, shaping collective memory and understanding. For some, histories of struggle also mean leaving behind a home that can never be returned to. What remains are memories—and in this case, a mixtape.
A mixtape for maladies, a play by award-winning director Ahilan Karunaharan, transports audiences to a small Sri Lankan village, where music becomes a bridge between past and present.
Bala Murali Shingade, a 29-year-old Kiwi-Indian actor who plays the dual roles of Anton and Suthan, believes the play “provokes us to question ideas of identity, politics, rights, and how to live peacefully with others.”
Bala Murali Shingade/Photo: The Arts Foundation
“As an actor with Indian Tamil heritage, I have been able to draw on my cultural background to gain an understanding of the characters’ relationships and cultural contexts within the show, because there are so many shared cultural ties with Sri Lankan Tamils.”
The story follows Sangeetha, a woman who cherishes music as a connection to her family. When civil war forces her to flee to Aotearoa with her son, Deepan, an old mixtape is all she has left of her past. As Deepan plays each song, he uncovers their family’s bittersweet journey, confronting the weight of history and identity.
“The play uses songs to talk about memories related to family, and I relate to this on a deep level,” Bala says. “I connect deeply with so much of the play because of its reflection on the past and its exploration of familial relationships.”
Bala wears multiple hats. Having already made a name for himself across Aotearoa’s film, television, and theatre industries as an actor, writer, director, editor, and linguist, he continues to make waves with his dynamic storytelling and commitment to representation.
Bala first discovered filmmaking as a profession in the early 2000s while watching behind-the-scenes documentaries of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.The sheer creativity, intensity, and camaraderie among the cast and crew left a lasting impression on him, inspiring his own journey into the world of filmmaking.
Born in Hyderabad, South India, Bala moved to Auckland at the age of four and grew up in Morningside. “I was lucky to grow up in a really diverse and multicultural neighbourhood in Morningside with friends and neighbours from all over the world,” he says. “I grew up hearing many languages spoken around me, and I had lots of creative influences—mainly in the form of the movies I watched.”
Bala first stepped into directing with 800 Lunches in 2019, followed by his critically acclaimed short film Perianayaki. 800 Lunches is a coming-of-age story about young Akshay, who feels alienated because of the different food he brings to school for lunch. “Inspired by a couple of real-life incidents” from Bala’s school days, the film unfolds like an 11-minute series of unanswered questions—a cramped steel tiffin box, a staple in every Indian home, filled with 800 unspoken struggles in a young migrant's life. It's the challenge of enjoying a simple home-cooked meal at school, all while fearing the label of ‘curry muncher.’
His next film, Perianayaki, despite pandemic-related delays, premiered at the 2022 New Zealand International Film Festival, sweeping multiple awards, including the Flicks Award for Best Short Film and the NZ’s Best Audience Award.
While directing was his initial focus, Bala’s acting career has flourished in parallel.
A mixtape for maladies/Photo: Supplied
Since becoming a full-time creative three years ago, Bala has been able to take charge of his time. When he is not on contract as an actor or director, he structures his work hours however he likes. “It’s often in those periods that I am able to focus on writing and editing,” he says.
Now, Bala is set to take centre stage in the world premiere of Ahi Karunaharan’s a mixtape for maladies at the Auckland Theatre Company.
“Ahilan was one of my first inspirations when I started working in theatre, and since then, I have had the pleasure of working with him many times—not to mention the privilege of having him become a close friend too.”
Running from 4 to 23 March at ASB Waterfront Theatre, the play a mixtape for maladies adds another milestone to Bala’s ever-evolving creative journey—one that continues to redefine representation and storytelling in New Zealand’s entertainment industry. Click here to book your tickets.
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