The annual Prithvi Festival kicked off on Saturday evening with a special soulful presentation of Kabir’s songs in Malwa folk style by Prahlad Tipaniya and his group. The festival, which believes in “celebrating stories, stage, and community spirit”, will be held till November 17, at Prithvi Theatre and Prithvi House, and will feature a number of new plays; screening of acclaimed National Theatre UK productions; conversations with renowned artists; platform performances and music concerts.
Sharing details about the festival spread over 17 days, Zahan Kapoor, a trustee of Prithvi Theatre, said: “This year, we have allotted theatre groups, who are presenting their play, two days each. Most of them are staging three shows and some are doing four.” The opening play of the festival is A Fish Ate My Cat, written and directed by Yuki Ellias. In play follows an elderly dreamer, who chats with objects, recalls forbidden love, and reconnects with her son as memory, fantasy, and live music entwine in love, laughter and letting go.
The festival highlights include premiere of Eden Creek, directed by Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal and Kaizaad Kotwal Mahabanoo Mody Kotwal; Queen, which is written by Aditya Rawal and directed by Daniel D’Souza; and Anatomy of a Suicide, written by Alice Birch and directed by Mohit Takalkar, among others. A Perfect time to Panic, written and directed by Akarsh Khurana, and Ambaa, an adaptation of Greek comic playwright Aristophanes’s Lysistrata, will also open during the festival. The play is adapted by Wrishabh and directed by Atul Kumar.
Commenting on this year’s line-up, Zahan said, “It’s exciting that the festival features works by both senior and young directors. There’s a lot of fresh energy and content.” Interestingly, many of the productions this year revolve around women-centric themes or plays from female perspectives. “We hadn’t curated the festival with this focus, but we’re happy these themes have emerged organically,” he added.
The festival will also host a series of workshops, including the ones by Naseeruddin Shah and Shernaz Patel. As part of NT Live, screenings of A Streetcar Named Desire, Inter Alia and Present Laughter will be held.
This year marks a milestone for Akvarious Productions, whose play A Perfect Time to Panic is its 90th production, coinciding with the group’s 25th anniversary in 2025. Meanwhile, Queen, which was first staged two years ago as part of the festival’s Fringe performances, returns as a full-fledged main-stage production.
Speaking about the festival, Kunal Kapoor, trustee of Prithvi Theatre, reiterates the vision behind it. “The festival has always been about giving back and rejuvenating the world of theatre — for both performers and audiences. It’s a celebration of the performing arts, of our community, and of our roots,” he says.
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Zahan believes that hosting the annual festival requires collective effort. “There’s no sponsor and very little outside support. So, it really is a community-driven effort,” says Zahan.
