MONTREAL, April 10, 2026 — What begins as a chance encounter between an employee of a South Asian restaurant in Toronto and a taxi driver who arrives at closing time because he craves some Indian food turns into an expose that delves into the ugly side of the current wave of the immigrant experience in Canada. That’s the premise behind Anosh Irani’s play Behind the Moon, which is playing at the Teesri Duniya Theatre, 251 Avenue des Pins West, until April 19, 2026.
Ayub (Adolyn H. Dar) is the hardworking restaurant worker, who is a recent immigrant from India, who hopes to save enough money to bring his wife and child to Toronto, hoping for a better way of life; Jalal (Aladeen Tawfeek) is the taxi driver who is himself an immigrant, but from the Indian region of Kashmir, and through his inquisitive nature becomes an unlikely friend and ally to Ayub; and Qadir Bhai (Andrew Joseph Richardson) is the owner of the restaurant, who hopes to expand his chain of South Asian eateries into the Montreal market, and is Ayub’s sponsor and benefactor towards realizing his dream of living a better life in Canada…or so we think.
The play starts with witty repartee between Ayub and Jalal over the simple premise of buying Indian takeout, much to Ayub’s stubborn reluctance, since the restaurant just closed for the day. As the friendship between the two dreaming immigrants gradually grows stronger and we discover Qadir Bhai’s true intentions for Ayub as he expands his restaurant chain, the play becomes a searing docudrama that indicts the exploitation of immigrants in the food service industry.
The trio of actors who make up the cast deliver compelling performances as we discover the darkness lurking behind this moon. Aladeen Tawfeek’s performance as Jalil especially stands out, as his empathetic, inquisitive nature is almost like an investigative reporter who is out on a hot story, and the more he finds out about Ayub’s dilemma, becomes the conscience for this dedicated, hardworking individual seeking a better life, and directs him towards a way out of the toil of backbreaking work and broken promises.
by Stuart Nulman
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