Love Blooms in a Diabetes Clinic

A new play by Karim Khan offers a tender portrait of South Asians finding companionship through shared grief and illness. The story centers on two widowed South Asians dealing with declining health in their later years, whose lives intersect in a diabetes clinic.

Played with crackling chemistry by Shobu Kapoor and Rehan Sheikh, the characters Liaquat and Hema zoom between Hindi and English, building a vivid soundscape of diasporic life. Hema is initially exasperated by Liaquat's refusal to take his diabetes seriously, but their bond deepens over time, marked by stolen mangoes and shared moments.

Natasha Kathi-Chandra's production contrasts these scenes of companionship with the isolation of their wider lives, depicting empty houses and solitary routines. Despite some pacing slackens, the stillness deepens the ache of loneliness, with food emerging as a significant love language.

While some script elements feel unresolved, such as the emotional fallout of a fire and fleeting insights into family relationships, Khan's play gives voice to underrepresented lives. It paints a defiant, timely portrait of individuals often pushed to the margins, particularly given diabetes' disproportionate effect on the South Asian community.