ALTERNATIVE ENTERTAINMENT: DELHI’S OWN THEATRE FESTIVAL

by Sohaila Kapur April 3 2025, 12:00 am Estimated Reading Time: 5 mins, 12 secs

The second Triveni Theatre Festival in Delhi celebrated diverse theatrical performances, from classic adaptations to experimental productions, reviving the city’s theatre scene with powerful storytelling, puppetry, and musical drama. Sohaila Kapur brings you all the details.

The Triveni Theatre Festival 2025 at Triveni Kala Sangam, Delhi, showcased a vibrant mix of contemporary theatre, classic adaptations, puppetry, and musical drama, reaffirming Delhi’s status as a thriving cultural hub. Featuring acclaimed plays like Nazeer Katha Kirtan and Chainpur Ki Dastaan, the festival brought together emerging and seasoned theatre artists, attracting enthusiastic audiences. With diverse performances, innovative storytelling, and a competitive awards ceremony, this annual event has cemented its place as a key fixture in Delhi’s performing arts calendar. Theatre lovers eagerly anticipate the next edition, as Mandi House buzzes with renewed artistic energy.

The second Triveni Theatre Festival was held from March 21 to 30, 2025, at Triveni Kala Sangam, Mandi House. Founded in 1950 by Sundari K. Shridharani, a dancer and pupil of Uday Shankar, the iconic building was constructed in 1963 and became an important cultural center in Delhi.

The Triveni complex houses four art galleries, a chamber theatre, an outdoor amphitheatre, and an open-air sculpture gallery. It also offers various arts, music, dance, and theatre classes.

Triveni was one of the first buildings in India designed by the noted American architect Joseph Allen Stein, who also designed several other cultural complexes in New Delhi, including the India International Centre and the India Habitat Centre.

Although Triveni has long been known for its ‘Triveni’ activities—comprising dance, music, and art—it lacked a dedicated focus on theatre. To address this, it launched a ten-day theatre festival in 2024, inviting theatre groups from Delhi to participate in a competitive event, culminating in an awards ceremony. This year, 121 entries were submitted, which were narrowed down to 10. Ultimately, two plays were selected as Best Play and Runner-up, while a third award was given for Best Director.

This year’s festival saw participation across generations and genres—original plays and adaptations, nautanki-style performances and contemporary drama, political and social themes, seasoned actors sharing the stage with young newcomers. It was a diverse theatrical feast, which I enjoyed as a juror. The festival also had a highly engaged audience, filling every available space and turning each day into a celebration of theatre. It was heartening to witness theatre making a strong comeback in Delhi after the lean, post-COVID period. Studios in Laxmi Nagar (akin to Aram Nagar in Mumbai) and Mandi House are now buzzing with theatre activity.

As mentioned, the final selection included 10 plays:

The festival opened with Nazeer Katha Kirtan, presented by the Khel Tamasha Theatre Group. Based on the works of 18th-century poet Nazeer Akbarabadi—known as the "People’s Poet"—this musical production blended poetry, music, and drama to create an immersive experience. It featured narrations and enactments from Akbarabadi’s life and literature, reflecting the struggles of ordinary people. The production also paid tribute to Habib Tanvir and his revival of the traditional Katha Kirtan form of theatre.

The second play, Cherry Ka Bageecha, was a Hindi translation of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard. Although written in the early 20th century, the play remains relevant due to its themes of declining nobility and the rise of the middle class. Presented by Shoonya Theatre Group, this costume drama was accompanied by interludes of exquisite Western classical music.

The third play, Train to Pakistan, was an adaptation of Khushwant Singh’s eponymous novel. Presented by Bela Theatre Karwaan, it stirred emotions through evocative performances, lighting, and music, bringing the harrowing story of Partition to life for audiences born long after the event.

On the fourth night, The Nights, an adaptation of Arabian Nights, was performed by Kat Katha Arts Trust. Known for its groundbreaking work in puppetry, the company integrated actors, puppets, voiceovers, and sound design to narrate the story of Scheherazade, creating a magical theatrical experience.

The fifth play, Adil Hasan Ki Yaadon Ka Naqsha, presented by The Dead School, was an imaginative and original production. The story revolves around Adil, a young man preparing for a college theatre performance, whose character—a devil—forces him to reflect on his childhood memories with his friend Ali. The play used a transparent plastic house, trapping the protagonist, alongside innovative projection techniques to bring his memories to life.

On March 26, Bloody Bombay was staged by the Unicorn Actors’ Studio. The play depicted the struggles and survival of aspiring actors in Mumbai, using Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s 17-year-long journey to success as a metaphor. The seamless script and high-energy performances made this production stand out.

Buddha Mar Gaya, presented by Manch Aap Sab Ka, was a dark comedy about greed. The story revolves around a ghost who continues to hoard property even after death. A battle ensues over a garden—one group wants the old man inhabiting it to die so they can claim it, while his grandson wants him to stay alive to secure his inheritance. The physical comedy delighted the audience.

The next evening featured Baat Puraney Zamane Ki Hai Aur Hamesha, produced by Jai Rangmandir. This translation of a Russian play explored recurring incidents in life through three interconnected short plays. The first piece, featuring moving performances by an elderly couple trapped within their homes and memories, was particularly poignant.

Chainpur Ki Dastaan, presented by Rangmauli, was an adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s The Inspector General. It re-examined modern politics through the lens of bureaucratic corruption in a small town called Chainpur. This Russian classic has seen several stage and screen adaptations, including Navketan Films’ 1950 production directed by Chetan Anand. The fast-paced play, marked by excellent comic timing and physical comedy, left the audience in splits.

The festival concluded on March 30 with the awards ceremony, followed by Rumiyana, a sufiyana performance by the Ishara Puppet Theatre Group, directed by Dadi Pudumji. The mesmerizing stage imagery and gigantic puppets provided a fitting finale to the festival.

As for the awards: