Festival Archives

“Zig Zags to Earth” is a shadow puppet play that combines the use of traditional-style shadow puppets with the use of an overhead projector. The play is a fascinating interplay of several experimental elements including narrative logic, visual language, and sound design.

Curated by:
Quasar Thakore Padamsee & Sankar Venkateswaran

This enchanting tale revolves around a household thrown into turmoil by the unexpected presence of a cobra. As the family panics, a snake friend emerges to rescue the cobra, showcasing the extraordinary bond between humans and animals.

Curated by:
Quasar Thakore Padamsee & Sankar Venkateswaran

Glitch in the Myth challenges grand narratives and reveals the fascinating, subversive ways in which women might work to support and inspire one another—how they communicate, pass on traditions, create microhistories of their own, and overturn the system.

Curated by:
Quasar Thakore Padamsee & Sankar Venkateswaran

ITEM explores the dichotomy between society’s idealised portrayal of women and their actual experiences of feeling lost and finding their voices. While mental health discussions often focus on younger generations, one must also consider homemakers.

Curated by:
Quasar Thakore Padamsee & Sankar Venkateswaran

Table and Stools is a listening community based out of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The name originates from the simple Table and two stools set it has to attract individuals to share their stories. Table and Stools focus on creating a space for people to feel listened to without offering any judgments or opinions. It gets a varied crowd that involves people of different socio-economic strata and across various ages.

Curated by:
Quasar Thakore Padamsee & Sankar Venkateswaran

Mattiah 22:39 is a powerful exploration of themes of love, loss, and betrayal. Two friends survive a terrible drought. As the drought worsens, their friendship is tested, and they begin to turn against each other. The play examines the transformative power of survival and how the desperate struggle to stay alive can radically alter a person’s perspective, forcing them to confront life through a completely new lens.

Curated by:
Quasar Thakore Padamsee & Sankar Venkateswaran

The House Blue is a blend of a pop-up photography exhibition and collaborative narrative theatre performance.

Curated by:
Quasar Thakore Padamsee & Sankar Venkateswaran

Mudiyettu, presented the day after Kalamezhuthu, is a folk, traditional, and ritual-theatre form of Kerala, performed in temples dedicated to the goddess Bhadrakali. It dramatizes the battle between Bhadrakali and the demon Dharika, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil.

Curated by:
Quasar Thakore Padamsee & Sankar Venkateswaran

Inspired by countless maternal figures telling bedtime stories across generations, Shahi Tukra explores themes of tenderness, caregiving, sacrifice and wellbeing. Through simple and raw stories of the earth, this is an invitation to be imaginative, curious and empathetic about the planet.

Curated by:
Quasar Thakore Padamsee & Sankar Venkateswaran

This is a piece about loss and grief. It is also a story of love, finding one’s voice, and rediscovering the power of song.

Curated by:
Quasar Thakore Padamsee & Sankar Venkateswaran

“Buried Treasures” is an hour-long musical retelling of a few renowned folk fables from India and Europe. The play features four short stories, including “Harisarman” from the Panchatantra; Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Match Girl”; a confluence of the Indian folk tale ‘The Snake and the Golden Coin’ and its European counterpart ‘The Goose and The Golden Egg’; and Rabindranath Tagore’s epic, “Hidden Treasures”.

Curated by:
Quasar Thakore Padamsee & Sankar Venkateswaran

“Zig Zags to Earth” is a shadow puppet play that combines the use of traditional-style shadow puppets with the use of an overhead projector. The play is a fascinating interplay of several experimental elements including narrative logic, visual language, and sound design.

Curated by:
Quasar Thakore Padamsee & Sankar Venkateswaran

Gabriel’s Trial seeks to touch upon issues concerning history and identity, examining the excesses of colonialism through the perspective of an enslaved Gabriel who oscillates between multiple identities and regimes of surveillance. The story of Gabriel’s life, enriched by those he met along the way, showcases the challenges of identity, the harsh realities of slavery and colonialism, and the enduring human spirit’s fight for freedom and self-identity.

Curated by:
Quasar Thakore Padamsee & Sankar Venkateswaran

A kaleidoscopic exploration of queer love through an enthralling evening of theatre, music, poetry and movement. The piece draws from powerful writings from history and literature. It weaves a rich tapestry of the dynamic and evolving conversations the community is currently engaging with, in the form of songs, satire, musical storytelling, and more.

Curated by:
Quasar Thakore Padamsee & Sankar Venkateswaran

Kalidasa’s Abhijnanasakuntalam narrates the love story of King Dushyanta and Sakuntala and is celebrated for its lyrical beauty, emotional depth, and masterful use of language. Kalidasa’s work delves into themes of memory, recognition, love, the interplay of coincidences, unknown forces, and human actions. This masterpiece has inspired countless adaptations across various art forms, from literature and painting to dance, cinema, and modern theatre.

Curated by:
Quasar Thakore Padamsee & Sankar Venkateswaran

While the world is fighting against global warming and ecological issues, the people of Manipur, a state in India’s Northeast, have been struggling with a crisis since May 2023. Manipur is now a battlefield between two communities with people living in relief camps. As people endure such horrors and trauma, Kalakshetra Manipur explores what role theatre must assume at such a time.

Curated by:
Quasar Thakore Padamsee & Sankar Venkateswaran