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Friday, August 15, 2025
TopicIndian Theatre

Topic: Indian Theatre

Theatre is now Bengal’s cultural star. Not cinema or literature

Two Bengali plays bagged 9 of the 13 awards at the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards. It’s perhaps the state’s biggest haul at India’s most prestigious theatre awards.

Play about Bengal Renaissance has an unlikely hero—man who sculpted Bengali typeface

After 20 performances in two years, the play is headed for the 24th edition of the National School of Drama’s upcoming Bharat Rang Mahotsav theatre festival.

Ismat Chughtai scolded Naseeruddin Shah for not reading her work. Then he wrote a play on her

The India Habitat Centre’s auditorium was packed on the evening of 14 December for Ratna Pathak Shah. She talked about theatre in Indian languages beyond, Urdu, Hindi and English.

‘Waiting For Naseer’ is about finding fame on stage. Naseeruddin Shah is just a stand-in

The play is about two actors waiting to meet their inspiration—Naseeruddin Shah. The wait is an artifice to reflect on the state of theatre, artists’ insecurities, hypocrisies & fame.

Urdu Drama Festival reveals state of theatre—unpaid talent, lost scripts, sexual abuse jokes

The Urdu Drama festival aimed to promote the language. Thespians also raised concerns about the challenges they face— particularly the gap between the stage and writers.

Akshara Theatre is a Delhi gem, and a lifeline for small artists

Theatre stars Gopal Sharman and Jalabala Vaidya built Akshara Theatre with their own hands—literally. The struggle it’s facing today is a microcosm of the larger existential crisis in Delhi theatre scene.

Protest-hit Kolkata celebrates Habib Tanvir. He defied censors, shaped Indian theatre

‘Dekh Rahe Hain Nayan’, a three-day festival held in Kolkata on 30 August, celebrated Tanvir’s body of work. MK Raina, Naseeruddin Shah paid tribute to the theatre legend.

Play based on Manto’s story outraged an audience member. He still has that effect on people

Manto’s stories are renowned for their unfiltered, unflinching portrayal of society's darker sides. ‘Kali Salwaar’, which reveals the dreams and vulnerabilities of a sex worker, is among them.

Safdar Hashmi’s first major play wanted ‘people to vote Communist’. Thousands turned up in UP

In 'Safdar Hashmi: Towards Theatre for a Democracy', Anjum Katyal chronicles the contributions of a politically charged artiste to Indian Theatre.

Theatre is therapy—When MK Raina put on a play with Muslim and Kashmiri Pandit children

When Raina put up his first show after months of secret workshops, people from nearby districts crowded buses to watch it. That was his sign to keep going.

On Camera

SC’s stray dog order fails Delhi. Courtroom absolutes don’t solve bad policy

What’s needed now is a policy-based solution. The situation cannot remain suspended between denial and inaction—it has already cost lives and money.

Slashing GST on waste can unlock Rs 1.8 lakh crore, high tax hurting circular economy goals—CSE

Centre for Science and Environment in new report makes case for rationalising GST on waste material, saying most informal operators can’t afford high tax & it also hinders recycling.

President awards 1st set of Sarvottam Yudh Seva medals since Kargil, 7 honoured for leading Op Sindoor

This year, the Indian Air Force received four of the seven awards, followed by the Indian Army with two medals, and the Indian Navy with one. 

Modi’s ready to risk it all for farmers. Farm reform can answer Trump with new Green Revolution

Standing up to America is usually not a personal risk for a leader in India. Any suggestions of foreign pressure unites India behind who they see as leading them in that fight.