Past Editions

Past Editions

2024 - Celebrating 20 years of Theatre!

Honnu Mannina Aata

Mricchakatika (the Mud Cart), originally a Sanskrit drama is attributed to ‘King Shudraka’ who is believed to have lived between the 3rd Century BC and 5th Century AD. The play holds a timeless quality and is being adapted and enacted till date around the world. ‘The Game of Gold and Clay’ is a title metaphor that echoes the many voices in the play. One can live without gold but one cannot imagine living without soil or the earth. Likewise, the labourers of the earth. Gold can be an object of adornment and boastful possession for the elite but not be the driving force of soil. However, the one thing that is both the green and the breath of all living things is soil. “Cloud is the offspring of earth and water”. There is no life without the elements. The inherent wisdom of the earthen beings play an important role in resisting and overcoming the obstacles faced by both the State and life. The golden ornament adorning Vasant Sena becomes an object of theft, an object of love, a child’s toy, an object of accusation of murder, and finally an object of dishonour for Charudatta, thus a cause of sensation in the entire Ujjain city.

Daastan-e-Ashok-o-Akbar

Dastaan Goi (storytelling) is perhaps the most ancient form of Urdu Theatre, written specifically to inform, entertain, and by its sometimes ambivalent ending to keep the audience thirsting for more. The ancient Dastaans were tales of magic and mystery and followed a codified pattern of narration. In ‘Dastaan-e-Ashok-o-Akbar’ the writer Ashok Lal, while following the time honoured traditions of a Dastaangoi performance, weaves a tale of magic and mystery set in our times – replete with coincidences and gallantry, all with a distinctly utopian touch.

The Far Post

Two enemy soldiers, killed in battle, embark on a journey into the afterlife with the help of an endearing Postman Aunty and her pet Goldfish. Set in a cold, mountainous landscape, where a border cuts through no man’s land, the Postman Aunty operates out of a makeshift post office that serves mail to both sides of the conflict. As the soldiers navigate the trials and tests of the afterlife, letters from the war unfold, scars begin to heal, and peace feels close like a spring morning. Filled with elements of mask work, contemporary dance and puppetry, ‘The Far Post’ will transport you to a magical realm. The music, created by the Sikkimese band Sofiyum, blends Lepcha folk and contemporary sounds to create a distinct and captivating world in the snowy mountains. Set against the backdrop of war, Postman Aunty and Fish are hijacked into the afterlife to deliver the ultimate package: Redemption.

Kahaniyan

‘Kahaniyan’ explores the rich and often unheard voices of the subaltern. In 1975, Devendra Raj Ankur named his style of work ‘Kahaniyon ka Rangmanch’ insinuating that different genres such as stories, novels, and autobiographies should be presented on stage in their original forms without converting them into dramatic idioms. The story remains a story and continues to transform into a theatrical scene-performance on the stage. In this process, an integrated presentation of three stories is placed before the audience in ‘Kahaniyan’.

Hayavadana

Hayavadana is a captivating exploration of myth and human emotion. The play begins with Hayavadana, a being who is part man, part horse, seeking to become whole with the help of the goddess Kali. At the same time, Devadatta and Kapila, two close friends, both fall in love with the beautiful Padmini. Consumed by jealousy, Devadatta takes his own life, and Kapila follows suit. When Padmini revives them, their heads are mixed up, creating a complex web of identity and desire. As the story progresses, Padmini struggles with the mismatched bodies and their shifting strengths. In the end, she retreats to the forest with her son, where a tragic resolution unfolds. The play concludes with Hayavadana, now a complete horse, seeking to rid himself of his remaining human trait—his voice—achieved through the laughter of Padmini’s child. Witness this enchanting tale of love, identity, and transformation.

Taking Sides

Set in post-World War II Germany, the play, on the surface is about the investigation of a world-famous music conductor of that time, Wilhelm Furtwangler, it takes on larger discussions and motifs throughout―spanning music, art, culture, life, politics, morality, ethics and more.

Kaumudi

Set in post-World War II Germany, the play, on the surface is about the investigation of a world-famous music conductor of that time, Wilhelm Furtwangler, it takes on larger discussions and motifs throughout―spanning music, art, culture, life, politics, morality, ethics and more.

Karnatic Kattaikkuttu

Renowned Karnatic vocalist T.M. Krishna and Kattaikkuttu director Perungattur P.
Rajagopal collaborate in a groundbreaking performance uniting Karnatic music and
Kattaikkuttu theatre. The concert explores their shared elements, differences, and
mutual influence. Integrating excerpts from plays like “Disrobing of Draupadi” and
“The Eighteenth Day,” the performance showcases Karnatic music alongside
Kattaikkuttu’s distinctive style. Highlights include a Mallari presented in Kattaikkuttu
fashion, and compositions addressing societal issues. This fusion not only enhances
their respective art forms but also enriches their expressive potential.

Mukhyamantri

Mukhyamantri traces its origins to the 1976 novel of the same name by Chanakya Sen. The novel was masterfully adapted into a Hindi play by NSD stalwart Ranjit Kapoor. This highly popular play has been performed for 44 years, captivating audiences with its blend of wit and satire. Set in an atmosphere of swaying political loyalties, Mukhyamantri follows the protagonist, who is intent on retaining his position through the approaching elections. The pace of the play is like a flowing river – signifying the eternal continuance of the state of matters. Through a blend of physical comedy and clever situational humour, the play captures Kaushal’s efforts to outmanoeuvre rivals and maintain his grip on power. The stage is adorned predominantly in white, accentuating the play’s theme of political manoeuvring against a backdrop of stark simplicity.

Medea

Euripides’ Medea is a Greek tragedy made famous by the unbelievable act of filicide. It is the
story of a woman so fearful of her impending exile and statelessness that she chooses to destroy that which she loves – her children. This tragedy, written in 431 BC continues to be told because human history has created and destroyed several such women – several versions of Medea – whose fear of exile, safety, and the lives of their children are driven to the most extreme actions. Even today. Performed as a solo, this production of Medea tells the story of the despairing, the hopeless, the enraged, the survivor, and the great lengths one may go to, to find a place called home.

Ungala Neenaga Yeppadi Paakka Virumbareenga?

A young man leaves home in search of a living. And so begins his journey. A journey of twists and turns, of hope and despair, where everything he holds dear will be called into question. This play is inspired by the Shaheen Bagh protests against the CAA and Atol Fugard’s ‘Sizwe Bansi is Dead’.

Urubhangam

Urubhangam (The Broken Thigh) is a poignant 4th-century Sanskrit play exploring the aftermath of the Mahabharata war. The story centers on Duryodhana, who, gravely injured, reflects on the futility and devastation of the conflict. The narrative is set in a dramatic environment where Duryodhana, who has been grievously injured, interacts with key figures from his life. Unlike his typical villainous portrayal, Duryodhana is presented with sympathy and depth. Gandhari, his mother, and Ashwatthama, a fellow survivor, join him in lamenting the war’s impact. Balarama, Duryodhana’s uncle, also plays a significant role. Through their interactions, the play critiques the glorification of war and explores into the personal tragedies that follow, revealing the deep emotional wounds and the psychological torment faced by these characters. Urubhangam challenges traditional views, portraying the war’s aftermath with emotional and philosophical depth.

Karimayi

The theme of the play is the progress of the destruction of the myths embedded in the life of a village. The drama begins with a murder. Gudsikara, the English-educated man who is influenced by modernization argues that the case should be taken to courts in the city. Whereas the elderly villagers, who see the goddess “KARIMAYI in every detail of their lives, argue that the case could be settled within the village. As the gulf between the two widens, the relations between individuals crack. An enraged Gudsikara loses his bearing and brings in Basavaraju and Chimna from Belgaum. The villagers look at “KARIMAYI” as the very center of their lives and the city-bred look at her as a gold- fetching god. These very people become responsible for the destruction of the ‘myth. The playwright employs the Bayalaata (A distinguished form of folk theatre in Karnataka) technique.

Karnalge Yaaru Bareyidilla

This play is based on Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s 1961 novella ‘No One Writes to the Colonel’. The Colonel is waiting for a letter he’s expected to receive. So is his wife. While it is true that they are waiting for the letter, that’s just an excuse. Waiting is a process that is all pervasive in their life. Is this just their fate? No. Not at all. The magical writer Marquez illustrates that this is the state of the entire humankind through his characters.

Raghunath

Raghunath, a villager, loses his beloved daughter during a flood in Assam just because there is no bridge in the village for her to go to school during the flood. The memories of his daughter haunt him all the time. He dreams of a new beginning and of a new, developed village where no children die because of the lack of a mere bridge. To realise his dream, he creates a false rumour that he has an ancient statue of a god in his home, believing that it will attract the government and the media to the village and that eventually the government will build a temple in it. And with that, automatically the government will also be led to build a school and a bridge. But can Raghunath really cheat himself to do this?

Chakravyuha

This is a war between Pandavas and Kauravas. Dronacharya offers to create an impenetrable labyrinth to assuage the Kauravas who are desperate with consistent losses. He instructs them that Arjuna should not be fighting in that part of the battlefield at that time. Samasaptaka, a friend of Kauravas, organises a battle in the netherworlds. Abhimanyu sees the permission of Dharmaraya to enter the labyrinth Chakravyuha. He begs his mother Subhadra who reluctantly blesses him. Abhimanyu later enters the Chakravyuha. Alas! He only knows how to enter it, but doesn’t know how to come out. Upon the instructions of Dronacharya, Karna chops off Abhuimanyu’s arms. Gadhadara, son of Dushyasana kills Abhimanyu.

Broken Images

Manjula Nayak is not a very successful Kannada short-story writer. She attains sudden wealth and international fame after writing a best-seller in English. The question that haunts Manjula is whether by opting for a global audience, she has betrayed her own language and identity. She now faces issues of loyalty and betrayal. And, without warning, it is her own image that decides to play confessor, psychologist and inquisitor. The play explores the dilemma that is faced by Indian writers who choose to write in English, and is a scathing look at the Indian literary establishment as well as a moving story of conflict and the desire for fame.

Atho Hidimba Kotha

This creation started as a response to a comment by a public figure that women must not engage themselves in “men’s work” to avoid acquiring the quality of a Rakshasa (demon). We used to think the mentions of the “Rakshasa” in our epics referred to some indigenous tribes of ancient India, or they were imaginary monsters from fairy tales with big flapping ears and sharp teeth. This comment made us aware that there is more to it. We became curious about the process of “men’s work” that increases demon’ness’ in women—or what these demon qualities are after all.

Reaching to Atho Hidimba Kotha from the story of Rakshasi Hidimba from the Mahabharata was a constant search of many questions, through our bodies, minds, habits. The story we found did not agree with the narratives provided by our ancient epics. It is a new narrative we provide—a story of the defeated, the disposed, that the epics refuse to include.

Tumhaare Baare Mein

Imagine going to a café and meeting your past and future selves over a cup of coffee! The play explores themes of relationships, voids, fulfillment, and fantasies. The characters are driven by their deepest desires. As they navigate the complexities of their relationships, they grapple with the voids within them and the fantasies they create to fill those gaps.

Sangeet Manapmaan

Sangeet Manapmaan is a sangeet natak performed by Bharat Natya Sanshodhan Mandir from Pune, a platform for Marathi experimental theatre that has kept the tradition of amateur sangeet natak alive since 1894. The play tells the story of Dhairyadhar, a young and penniless general who is rejected by the proud heiress Bhamini. She later repents and disguises herself as a poor damsel in the wilderness, where she is rescued by Dhairyadhar. While her pride dissolves, his prejudice against her former self remains. The love story is humorously interwoven with the schemes of Bhamini’s brother-in-law Vilasdhar, who backs Lakshmidhar, a good-for-nothing dandy. Their scenes mirror the Iago-Roderigo exchanges from Othello. In a comic twist, the schemers fail and the lovers unite. Manapmaan ends where Othello might begin—but with Brabantio’s blessings and the Duke, though offstage, still present in spirit.

2023 - Narratives and Narratives

Slices of the Moon Swept by the Wind

A boy, intelligent but trapped in a tragically misshapen body, writes about the world outside: seen from the window of his room: a Muharram procession, birds perch on the windowsill like friends, boys who call him monkey. And he writes about the world inside: Appa, who harbors a dream that his son will one day go to school while battling demons in the night; Amma, who sells her gold to pay her husband’s debts; Doddakka, his elder sister, who could never get married; Sannakka, his middle sister, who will only accept a suitor who accepts her little brother; Hosakka, the new sister, whom he had given up for dead; Anna, his elder brother, who defies his father’s wrath to forge a perilous path…Only Tangi, his baby sister, brings some light into this house with her smile. In a dysfunctional universe, it begins to seem that the only ‘normal’ person is the boy, wise beyond his age.

Jo Dooba So Paar

This musical dastaan traces the life of Ameer Khusrau, weaving interesting talks and anecdotes in the format of a Dastangoi. The journey reveals how this talented child, Yameenuddin (Khusrau’s childhood name), grew into the legendary Ameer Khusrau. The dastaan throws light on his priceless contribution to literature, music, and culture, and is his relationship with his ever-so-special Guru – Nizamuddin Auliya. The anecdotes and stories, woven in a dastaan, accompanied by live Qawwali, give insight into the essence of Sufism and the importance of the eternally relevant message of love among humans. The dastaan is accompanied by live music and Qawwali to transport the viewer into the 12th century.

Urmila

Urmila was the sister of Sita, princesses born to King Janaka of Mithila, while Sita was famed for her beauty and charm, Urmila, no less lovely, was known for her calm. When Sita wed Rama of Ayodhya, Urmila wed his brother, Lakshmana. Lakshmana was so devoted to Rama and Sita that he followed them into exile for fourteen years, leaving Urmila behind. To serve them in their waking hours and guard them in their sleep, he begged for the boon of sleeplessness- for fourteen years! On their first night of exile, the sleep goddess appeared before Lakshmana and offered him that boon on the condition that someone else had to slumber for fourteen years in his stead. Lakshmana unhesitatingly nominated Urmila and she joyfully accepted that task of sleeping for fourteen years to allow her beloved husband to serve Rama and Sita with full devotion. Hearing of Urmila’s unparalleled sacrifice, known as Urmila Nidra, Sita proclaimed that no one else would match Urmila’s fate because she was the embodiment of devotion and selflessness, a true example of love and sacrifice, for all to witness.

Patigalum

Patigalum Pazhamozhigalum (Old ladies and proverbs) is a comedy excerpted from the book by Shanmugam. The jester part of the play is scripted by Naseer, the actor. The play is set up at a ‘thinnai’ (verandah) that are commonly found in the village houses where the witty old ladies gather around for their everyday chit-chat on the world matters. Male actors are dressed up as old women in this play, singing five songs by the famous cross-gender artist O Mutthumari. This unconventional comedy requires audience interaction.

Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta

A high concept drama wherein, Feroza and Aditya, a couple in a country ruled by a fascist regime, embark on a quest to unravel life’s meaning, love, and politics. The story delves into their relationship non-linearly, as a strict law limits daily word usage to 140. Feroza, a public prosecutor, and Aditya, a music artist, struggle to communicate amid the law’s anxieties, questioning if they can overcome the chaos in their dynamics. The play explores the politics of love between a man and a woman, confronts an activist and a state representative, and challenges the privileges in engaging with marginalized struggles. The totalitarian law’s impact on society and individual minds is evident, prompting an inquiry into the true meaning of “personal is political”. Through Aditya and Feroza’s flawed relationship, the play reflects the fragmented reality of contemporary times.

Mahila Bharatha

The play, swinging between memories of the past and realities of the present, uses this elasticity as its core. The female narratives in the play, blur the lines between myths and reality, thus brings reality face to face with myth, or the other way., in a distinct manner. While the conduct of the mythological characters dictate the contemporary world, and share their predicaments, the contemporary characters console and pacify the characters from mythology. The friction that emanates from these conflicting traits of the characters, one can find multiple layers of protests from women. The play, thus, brings mythology to the present and mythologizes the present, transcending the time and space.

2022 - Just Theatre

Dakla Katha Devi Kavya

From a very long time, popular stories, and metaphors of our country have always been about a few Puranas, poems, stories, etc while the fact is that our culture is much more diverse than what we have perceived. K B Siddhaiah’s text opens us to the reality of an entirely new Purana or mythology which is in complete contrast to popular culture and makes us see how they all can co-exist and hence make our country immensely diverse. It was very important for us to create a grammar that could complement the text and also be able to stand on its own as an equally powerful part of the play.

To achieve that, we have experimented with different theatrical forms which can shift time and space for the audience to evoke in them a uniquely visceral experience and take them on a journey of several unknown human possibilities. Aspects like untouchability, morality, and patriarchy are all discussed using just the dramatic and theatrical elements apart from many things that are proposed by the text. We have used the ideas of rituals, food, music, relationship with god, etc as tools for exploring them.

It was also very important for us to integrate the soundscape into the world of this play and that was only possible by making it culturally rooted. The choice of instruments like thamate and Arey is also very carefully made to underline their cultural and political significance of them. The play is about a family of performers who travel and perform this story. This device as a container allowed us to make the text which is mostly in poetry more contemporary and also bring together many works of K B Siddhaiah into one narrative. And this also allows two very interesting aspects in the play. A huge canvas created with the use of only a few properties and no need for a huge set, and agency to add multiple circus elements like in any Fair, Jaathre, or Folk performance.

There is Something in the Water

Based on An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen. How do you save a world that doesn’t want to be saved? A doctor makes a scientific discovery, which leads him on a dangerous path to many more discoveries about human nature and a rather toxic state of affairs.

Taking Sides

This play is set in post-World War II Germany, during the period of ‘denazification’. While on the surface the play is about the investigation of a world-famous music conductor of that time -Wilhelm Furtwangler -it takes on larger discussions and motifs throughout – spanning music, art, culture, life, politics, morality, ethics and more.

Idakini Kathaiaratham

In the past, Homo sapiens, has led to the greatest shift in human evolution, the migration of mankind, which continues to this day despite the destruction of numerous human beings throughout history as a result of the migration.

In this migration, history is the collection of perishable stories of rejected and tortured bodies. These bodies are powerless and uncomplicated. We feel the land when we realize how powerless bodies that are not a part of these categories are of the state, the ruling class, the ethnic group, the caste and the religion. When a body is disconnected from the land, it will become powerless, unhomely and easy to destroy by anyone. We can understand that the Jews of World War II, the genocide of the Romas, the genocide of the Armenians and in the pandemic, the bodies of migrant workers who tottered all over world with the burden of their children and domestic animals in the boiling tar roads, are all landless / bodies exhumed from the land.

Theater land traces out the stories from the bodies of the millions of Southeast Asian & Malaysian Tamil refugees who were so powerfully decimated and destroyed in the construction of the “Siam Death Railway” to the present-day indigenous refugees, who deformed in the openness of rail tracks with loaves of bread – without any basic human dignity. Through the jungles of Siam, the lengthy railway line it travels through the theatre land. Since ancient times, those who have been killed in the displacements and become folk deities, are going to awaken in the theatre space with the voice of voiceless.

Children, the divinities walking past the crisis of war, disasters & environmental destruction hugging dolls their chests and sowing the hope all over. Play receives these children as themselves with their dolls laughing at exploitation and oppression.

1984

A Novel by George Orwell unleashes a unique plot as per which No One is Safe or Free. No place is safe to run or even hide from a dominating party leader, Big Brother, who is considered equal to God. This is a situation where everything is owned by the State. Big Brother is always watching your actions. He even controls everyone`s feelings of love, to live and to discover. The basic plot of this historic novel revolves around the concept that no person has freedom to live life on his or her own terms.

The Dystopian novel takes place in Oceania. This is the world where the Big Brother controls everything. The protagonist Winston Smith, who is leading a normal layman life under these harsh circumstances, through hating all of this. He works on writing the old newspaper articles in order to make history or past relevant to today`s party line. He falls in love with Julia, a young girl who is morally very rigid comes into the fore. She too hates the system as much as Winston does. Gradually, they get into an affair but have to conceal their feelings for each other, as it will not be acceptable by Big Brother. In Big Brother`s bad world, where war is peace, freedom is slavery and ignorance is strength. Will the love win or the totalitarian Government.

Apne Ghar Jaisa

A woman is getting ready to welcome an unknown man who has rented a room in her house. She feels uneasy about admitting a stranger into her home. He has an unusual name—a name which leaves her only with questions about him: Who is he? Where is he from? Her fear and aversion of the ‘other’ bubble to the surface. She lets her imagination run wild and is eventually consumed by a frenzy of rage and violence. When the man arrives, hoping to be welcomed into her home. She was right: there is something unusual about him, something surprising, something, perhaps, eye-opening.

2021 - Staying Alive!

Kanta Mattu Kanta

Two theatre actors. Now aged. Quite aged. Equally talented but cannot shed their egos. Once upon a time they were a popular pair. For reasons best known to them, they stopped seeing each other, they stopped talking to each other. They last appeared on stage some 16 years ago. Now there is an opportunity (opportunity? to come on stage together. They have to forget their acrimony and come on stage. Is it possible to celebrate friendship after a long separation? Is a new life possible?

Lockdown

The Kannada play titled ‘Lockdown’ is a 50–60-minute play set in urban, rural and international ecosystems that come with their own set of challenges. An anthology of 4 stories tells the importance of relationships and how they are moulded during uncertain times. A story of a daughter and a stepmother, a newly married couple, an adopted grandson and a lonesome wife; all of them find a way to connect with each other, across borders, through interests and memories. In the process finding themselves

Jhund

Two strangers are locked up in a mysterious room while trying to escape from an unknown occurrence outside, seen as a threat to humans. Their phones are tampered with, their data is lost and as time passes, the only way to know about the outside world is to stay in and join the cryptic social network created for the ones who are still alive. But how long will they choose to play along? Inspired from and based on two source texts: Ashok Mishra’s Hindi Translation of Slawomir Mrozek’s play ‘Striptease’ and Ghanshyam Desai’s Gujarati short story ‘The Crowd’

Kaamarupigal

Kaamarupigal is an abstract from Ramayana, spanning the events starting with the defacing of Shurpanakhi till the death of Jatayu. This bit of Ramayana offers an entertaining look at the dramatic events of Panchavati Prasanga. We attempt to present it in a slightly modernized and endearing fashion. With this play, we explore the boundaries of desire and the tumults of lust.

Hunkaro

‘Hunkaro’, literally means a verbal affirmation. The piece is replete with songs which come from the centennials old Manganiyar tradition but avoids musical instruments, once again underlining the spoken word. World renowned Manganiyar musician Hakeem Khan Saab is helming the musical front of this performance.

An intriguing weave of 3 stories talk about what strength, hope can instill and how life without hope is impossible to sustain. Performed by 6 trained actors, the piece mainly in Marwari and dialects of Hindi, Punjabi runs for 85 mins.

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TRANSFER TO:
Beneficiary Name: THE SANKET TRUST
A/C: RANGA SHANKARA
A/c no: 0492101020154
IFSC code: CNRB0000492