New Delhi: It’s an exciting time of the year owing to the ongoing festivities and the stage is abuzz with a fantastic line-up of presentations. Here are some upcoming shows to immerse yourself in over the month.
Short Film Corner | An NCPA Presentation in collaboration with White Wall Screenings
Scenes from a Pandemic: A young ambitious woman moves to Mumbai for her first job right out of college. Three months after her move is the onset of the pandemic and her life changes forever. Spanning two years, Scenes from a Pandemic is the story of a young woman’s relationships with her mother, her best friend, and her career during a tumultuous phase of life.
Guddi Maasi: Guddi Maasi, A matchmaker from Varanasi arranges child marriages with older men and is a part of shady money deals. Is she?
When: Little Theatre
Where: April 3, 6:30 pm
Entry: On a first-come-first-served basis
Purane Chawal | An NCPA Presentation in collaboration with D For Drama production
Set in contemporary Mumbai, this Hindi adaptation of Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys delves into the world of two retired comedy geniuses who are brought together to reprise their iconic comedy act after 12 years for the biggest festival of comedy in the country. The only problem is they can’t stand each other. Will they be able to put aside their differences and create the same magic?
Where: Tata Theatre
When: Sunday, 7th April – 7.00 pm
Language: Hindi
Duration: 1 Hr 40 mins
Directed by Sumeet Vyas
Adapted by Farrukh Seyer and Avinash Gautam
Cast: Kumud Mishra, Shubhrajyoti Barat, Ghanshyam Lalsa/Ishar Sunya, Ayesha Raza, Kirti V.A., Divyendu Saurav, Prashant Pandey
All Stars Comedy | An NCPA Off-Stage Presentation in collaboration with The Habitat
A star-studded comedy line-up from The Habitat’s daily All Star Stand-up Comedy show is now at an auditorium near you. Here is the perfect opportunity to experience laughter like never before.
Where: Godrej Dance Theatre
When: April 7, 5.00 pm and 7.30 pm
Duration: 90 mins
Language: English/Hindi
Age Suitability: 18+
Performed by: Shreeja Chaturvedi, Mohd Hussain, Shashwat Maheshwari, Sumit Sourav, Siddharth Dudeja
Reality Check – Ayena Mirror | An NCPA Presentation in collaboration with Cinema Collective
NCPA has revived the Reality Check film series, which was started in 2014, to promote and encourage documentary filmmakers in India, whose work reflects life and culture in the country today in a provocative blend of creativity and integrity.
A momentary act of revenge transformed the lives of two young Indian women forever. After surviving an acid attack while carrying the scars of human brutality on their face, both Ritu and Faraha now have to navigate a sea of odd currents daily.
Strangely enough, Ritu’s scars also brought her fame. She occasionally finds herself talking on television, modelling at fashion events, or even featuring in a Bollywood film. Still, she often feels lonely. She wants to be loved and embraces an ambiguous relationship with a fellow female acid attack survivor. Faraha on the other hand, has come to terms with her post-attack singlehood and her new lease of life. As she begins to enjoy freedom and independence, a desire to become a mother slowly brews inside her.
Where: Little Theatre
When: April 11, 6.30 pm
Language: Hindi/Urdu with English subtitles
Duration: 1 Hr 10 mins
Entry: on a first-come-first-served basis
The Siddhus of Upper Juhu | An NCPA Presentation in collaboration with Rage Productions
Balvinder Siddhu, also known as Bubbles, a 50-year-old well-paid financial executive, and his loyal Parsi wife, Behroze, live on the 14th floor of a typical modern Upper Juhu high-rise called Sea View Towers. Despite having poured their life savings into this 2.5 BHK flat in Mumbai, everything civil and civic seems to go wrong.
When: April 13, 7.00 pm
Where: Tata Theatre
Language: English
Duration: 90 mins
Directed by Rahul da Cunha
Cast: Rajit Kapur, Shernaz Patel, Meera Khurana, Kajli Sharma & Shishir Sharma
Qisse aur Kavitaayein | An NCPA Off-Stage Presentation
A unique amalgamation of poetry infused with music. Stories about life, love and laughter are sure to move you and bring you an experience to remember amidst nature at the beautiful Tata Gardens at the NCPA. Boasting a line-up that includes the country’s most popular poets and storytellers such as Helly Shah, Mehak Mirza Prabhu, Rakesh Tiwari, Ishpreet Balbir and the newest voice on the circuit Aanchal Anita Dhara, indulge in a diverse blend of talents.
Where: Tata Gardens
When: Saturday, 13th April – 7 pm
Language: Hindi
Duration: 1 Hr 30 mins
Age Suitability: 15+
Curated by Priya Malik
Chanakya | An NCPA Presentation in collaboration with Dharmajam Production
Chanakya was the greatest statesman, a visionary and arguably the first patriot of the country, who single-handedly carved India (as we know it today) out of the chaos of infighting and exploitation by the regional kings of the time. Love for one’s society and nation is the greatest virtue, nationalism elevates an individual from his mundane existence and improves his quality of life. Patriotism binds an individual to his society and inspires the strong to work towards the betterment of the weak. The play Chanakya brings the man who advocated these sayings to live once again but in the modern context.
What: Play
Where: Tata Theatre
When: April 14, 7.00 pm
Language: Hindi
Duration: 2 hrs 30 Mins
Written by Mihir Bhuta
Directed by Manoj Joshi
Cast: Manoj Joshi, Sanjay Bhatia, Bhuvanesh Shetty, Kavita Rathod Rana and others
Main Pal Do Pal Ka Shayar Hoon | An NCPA Presentation in collaboration with The Hoshruba Repertory & Art for Causes
The play is based on the life of Sahir Ludhianvi. Sahir Ludhianvi was one of the iconic poets & lyricists of Urdu literature and Hindi cinema respectively in the 20th century. Hoshruba Repertory in collaboration with the Art for Causes brings alive his life in a semi-autobiographical theatrical presentation. The play attempts to bring a 360-degree perspective on his life interspersed with some of his iconic songs and poems. Co-written by Ali Husain Mir (Writer of the film Mee Raqsam, and Himanshu Bajpai, the well-known. “Aao Ke Koi Khwaab Bunein” Composed by Aneesh Pradhan and First Sung by Shubha Mudgal
Where: Tata Theatre
When: April 20, 7.00 pm
Duration: 2 Hrs
Writers: Mir Ali Husain & Himanshu Bajpai
Director: Danish Husain
Actors: Danish Husain, Vrinda Vaid ‘Hayat’, Shantanu Herlekar, Srijonee Bhattacharjee, Siddarth N. Padiyar & Donald Krist
Dekh Behen Part Two | An NCPA Presentation in collaboration with Akvarious Productions
Five years have passed since the events of the first play, and Kanupriya aka Kannu is getting married in Jaipur. It is a vegetarian, alcohol-free wedding, filled with orthodox in-laws and judgmental guests. But the gang of girls is back and committed to having a good time. They’re older, but probably not wiser. Retaining all the fun of the first, and dealing with new and pertinent issues, this sequel to the Akvarious superhit is another crazy celebration of female friendship.
Where: Experimental Theatre
When: April 20, 5 pm & 7.30 pm
Duration: 1 Hr 20 Mins
Language: English/Hindi
Age Suitability: 18+
Featuring Astha Arora, Dilshad Edibam, Garima Yajnik, Lisha Bajaj, Prerna Chawla, Shikha Talsania, Tahira Nath, and others
Written by Dilshad Edibam and Tahira Nath
Directed by Prerna Chawla and Shikha Talsania
Stand up with D Girls | An NCPA Off-Stage Presentation in collaboration with Being Association.
In today’s time, when standing up for an issue and even doing stand-up comedy is difficult, this solo is a satirical take on both situations. Everything is already decided for us, yet you get to watch shocking news about us every day! Why! How!
This solo is a journey through those types, exploring great literature and poems in between, which tell us a tale of “D’ girls. By intertwining the shadows and lights, hope and hopelessness in Ritu and Faraha’s life, Ayena becomes a mirror, allowing one to glimpse their reflection.
Where: Godrej Dance Theatre
When: April 20, 7.30 pm
Langauge: Hindi and English
Duration: 1 Hr 25 min
Written, directed & performed by Rasika Agashe
Producer & Director: Siddhant Sarin (The Films)
The film screenings will be followed by a post-film discussion.
Cast Off All Shame | An NCPA Presentation in collaboration with Story Circus
Cast Off All Shame begins with the spirit of a Bhakti poet Janabai coming alive and taking over a radio show as an RJ. She then talks to various women callers who reach out to her with their everyday issues of gender and patriarchy. Thus the solo theatre piece consists of a series of vignettes – some hilarious, some gut-wrenching about Indian women from a variety of classes and settings. Their situations are illuminated by women Bhakti poets- Janabai, Lal Ded, Akka Mahadevi, Avvaiyyar, Soyarabai- whose poems appear as ‘characters’ in this show. Punctuated with soulful poetry and stories, Cast Off All Shame remains an entertaining, engaging and empowering experience for everyone.
Where: Godrej Dance Theatre
When: April 21, 6.00 pm
Language: English & Hindi
Duration: 80 mins
Written, directed, and performed by Ulka Mayur
Red | An NCPA Presentation in collaboration with Water Lily
In RED, the renowned painter Mark Rothko is at the pinnacle of his creativity but struggling through the creation of a series of large paintings, commissioned to feature in New York’s brand-new Four Seasons Restaurant.
Set in the late 1950’s, and based on a series of real events, Red takes a compelling look at the ever-changing relationship between an artist and his creations.
Where: Experimental Theatre
When: April 21, 4.30 pm & 7 pm
Language: English
Duration: 90 mins
Age Suitability: 12+
Writer: John Logan
Director: Daniel Owen Dsouza
Cast: Vikram Kapadia & Daniel Owen Dsouza
Love and Information | An NCPA production in association with Aasakta Kalamanch
How do we look at ourselves and others, how do we make connections, and how do we love? These are some of the questions that are thrown up by Caryl Churchill’s Love and Information, which challenges traditional theatrical norms with its unconventional structure. Comprising over fifty scenes in seven sections, the play follows a non-linear narrative and is devoid of central characters, emphasizing the cumulative impact of diverse, brief scenes ranging from seconds to minutes.
The vignettes mirror the rapid pace of channel-hopping or scrolling through social media, highlighting potential implications for relationships in an era dominated by instant gratification and short attention spans. The play’s kaleidoscopic structure touches on an array of themes such as memory atrophy, privacy erosion, alienation from the self and the decay of genuine emotion. Through its experimental form and astute observations, written in 2012, “Love and Information” the play speaks directly to the way we make meaning of our lives and existence when there is an over-exposure and saturation of different kinds of information
Where: Experimental Theatre
When: April 25 – 28
Language: English Hindi Marathi, Haryanvi, Gujarati
Duration: 120 min
Age Suitability: 18+
Playwright: Caryl Churchill
Director: Mohit Takalkar
Cast: Ashish Mehta, Dusha Madhav, Kashish Saluja, Lovleen Misra, Mahesh Saini, Mallika Singh Hanspal, Mrinmayee Godbole, Prajesh Kashyap, Rachel D’souza, Rytasha Rathore, Siddhesh Dhuri
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