Produced and created by Indian Ink Theatre Company, Balloon Dog at the Sydney Opera House is a contemporary adaptation of Kabuliwala, the 1892 Bengali short story by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. It is the story of a five-year-old girl called Mini who befriends a local service station worker called Kabir (Jehangir Homavazir). They form an unlikely bond that confounds her mother, Sara (Alisha Jacob), who is wary of the stranger, and intrigues her grandfather, Ravi (Jacob Rajan), an artist who insists Kabir sit for a portrait. In this re-telling, Calcutta is replaced with Auckland, the fruit seller becomes a service station worker, and the parental figure is the mother, not the father. These are clever and subtle changes that successfully re-purpose this story for modern audiences.
This is a play about compassion and what it means to belong. We learn throughout the course of the performance that Kabir is working to send money home to his family, that he is living in a small room at the service station and that Ravi is the first person to open his door to him in the year that he’s been in Auckland. Cultural prejudices are artfully expressed when Mini disappears and her mother Sara accuses Kabir of taking her. When it is revealed that the child was simply hiding under the bed, we see the shame and regret Sara feels by so quickly jumping to conclusions.
The family soon welcomes Kabir, who brings over traditional meals and a small, pink, balloon dog for Mini. He presents a fascinating contrast – the traditions and language of home existing with the western sensibilities of a family born in New Zealand. A small example of this is how Kabir insists on removing his shoes when entering the house, despite Ravi constantly telling him he does not need to.
In what feels like a huge tonal shift, Kabir is convicted of manslaughter against his boss, who had refused to return his passport to him, and lands in jail serving a seven-year sentence. When he is released, he returns to the neighbourhood, keen to reconnect with Mini and the family before he is sent home to India. Sadly, Mini, now a pre-teen, does not remember him. We learn that Kabir has a daughter at home, similar age to Mini, and he fears she will not remember him once he returns.
The performance concludes with the appearance of a small puppet, who I assume is Mini. Important to note that Mini was never presented as a physical character, her presence was always alluded to through behaviours and sometimes the voices of the other characters. This was a clever and effective way to represent the character, so the appearance of the puppet was a somewhat interesting and confounding choice. With Mini and Sara about to leave for Sydney, puppet Mini opens her suitcase and we see a large, blue balloon dog escape.
Curious puppet aside, there were ways in which I believe the ending could have been made stronger. When Mini opens her suitcase that she has packed for Sydney, why is the balloon dog that emerges not the small, pink one from her childhood? Had it visually reflected the gift from Kabir from when she was five, it would have suggested that part of her did remember this friend from her past, and that he did have value for her. Alternatively, we never hear what happened to the portrait that Ravi created of Kabir and Mini. Perhaps when Mini is re-introduced to Kabir there is a hint of recognition because he is the man in the portrait in her grandfather’s studio. A man she does not remember but knows was an important part of her life.
The music (David Ward) and choreography (Jude Froude) were a highlight of the performance. Whimsical, with a touch of Bollywood, it brought a levity and a sense of fun. In particular, the fourth wall breaks with the audience and musician David Ward were moments of hilarity. The dynamics of the cast were perfect, the father – daughter relationship between Ravi and Sara was played to perfection. Homavazir as Kabir really achieved the right tone for his character, without falling into a caricature.
Balloon Dog is a funny, endearing story of the fearless compassion that children bring into the world, and how quickly it is taken away as we age. Human connection is equally the simplest and most complicated thing in life, but it is the one thing we all need.
THREE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Balloon Dog will perform at the Sydney Opera House until 28 June 2026.
For more information and to purchase tickets head to the Sydney Opera House website.
Reviewer attended on 25 June 2026.
Photos: Daniel Boud
