"But Mini is five years old. It's your job to keep her safe. I don't want him anywhere near Mini. Am I clear?" 

A family in the suburbs of Auckland unravels when Mini makes friends with a lonely migrant worker, who just moved to New Zealand.

What happens next is the story of the play 'Balloon Dog', which is currently doing the circuit across New Zealand. 

The theatre show will be touring through New Zealand with their shows in Auckland's Q theater from June 3 till June 20, before performing at the Sydney Opera House next month. 

The performance is based on 'Kabuliwala', the iconic drama written in 1892 by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, the author of India's national anthem. 

'Kabuliwala' is the story of a man from Kabul who sells fruit in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata (previously Calcutta) to provide for his family back in Afghanistan.  

For the performance the directors swapped 1800s Kolkata for 21st century Auckland. 

“The themes we discuss are timeless and relevant,” says Jehangir Homavazir, the actor who plays the migrant. The Indian-Iranian was born and raised in East Auckland.

Jehangir Homavazir in 'Balloon Dog'. (Supplied photo)

Kiwi-Indian Alisha Jacob plays Mini's mother. She tells Awaaz the question the play tries to get across to the audience is simple.

The 23-year-old from Hamilton will be marking her theater debut with 'Balloon Dog', presented by theatre company Indian Ink. 

She points to the state of the world and the widespread displacement of people.

"People have questions like...'why are they doing that?', 'what are they leaving behind?', 'what are they going to do?'" she says.

The play addresses such issues as family, parenthood, and how not to judge a book by its cover.

Its makers say the story is not trying to provoke anything. But they want to make a heart-opening performance that tackles themes that come with migration.   

In 'Balloon Dog', the background of the migrant worker is explained, but in real life you normally don’t know why people decided to leave their homes, Jacob says.

Actor Alisha Jacob. (Supplied photo)

“During our performance, we figure out that he does not want to be here. He is forced to be here, and I think we should have more empathy."

The performance includes dancing, acting and singing, but Indian Ink also works with masks. During this show they are experimenting with how small they can make the mask. 

“This time it is just prosthetic teeth, but it really transforms how your mouth looks and how your face sits,” says Homavazir.  

Indian Ink plays revolve around the story of Indians, but Homavazir says it's a bit different this time.

"Typically we will look at one group of people....this time, we are looking at a conversation between two different classes, two different upbringings and the cultures that they have.”

Indian Ink was founded in New Zealand about 29 years ago, by Justin Lewis and Jacob Rajan. The company has won 13 national and international awards.

With a group of artists, Indian Ink creates fresh, culturally diverse theatre that combines artful storytelling, mischievous wit and theatrical magic in a way that connects communities.