Bhumika Theater Group is taking drama to every home in Hyderabad, reviving it Mungitlo Natakam(Theatre at Your Doorstep) Initiative. Manasa BHEL Executive Towers, a residential township, will be transformed into an unconventional performance venue for Telugu drama Sampangi On 2 May.

There will be a storytelling session for children in the morning before the 7pm performance. “Sampangi “Our reimagining of Rapunzel, seen through the lens of today’s teenagers, questions the original story’s assumptions about parental betrayal, captivity, and passivity,” says Uday Kiran Garikapati. A software professional, he stepped in to lead the group in May 2025 following the demise of his father and Bhumika founder Uday Bhanu Garikapati.

intimate theater

Bhumika’s founder (late) Uday Bhanu Garikipati (left) and his son Uday Kiran Garikipati. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

idea behind Mungitlo Natakamwhich was put on hold during Covid, is to make theater more accessible. “There are promotional clips in movies and television, but rarely in theaters. Mungitalo It’s our way of taking theater to the people, so it reaches not just regular patrons, but everyone,” says K.Iran.

The group has performed in about 25 residential colonies across Hyderabad, receiving encouraging responses. “We don’t charge for these shows, and people are incredibly welcoming. Many people contribute voluntarily and refer us to friends in other apartments, some people even invite us to dinner after the performance,” he adds.

The first death anniversary of Uday Bhanu Garikipati on 2 May brings both memory and activity for Bhumika Theater Group. The team is running ongoing children’s theater workshops, free Sunday storytelling sessions, acting workshops and preparing for the second edition of its three-day theater festival starting on May 15.

means of social change

The artist with his guru Uday Bhanu Garikipati (standing, seventh from right). Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Reflecting on Bhumika’s journey since its inception in 1989, Uday says, “My father believed that theater could be a powerful tool for social change. Community theater and rural performances often convey subtle messages within entertainment; he wanted to recreate that magic in urban spaces.”

Over time, Uday Bhanu evolved from actor-director to mentor, and he designed a structured acting curriculum for aspiring artistes – which continues to guide the training of Bhoomika, now in its 25th batch. A technophile at heart, he also explored AI and machine learning while being involved in the group’s website design. “At family gatherings, when other people talked about pilgrimages, he would motivate them to learn AI tools,” Kiran says with a smile.

Storytelling session in an apartment complex Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

While Bhumika operates from Chikkadpally, its plays are staged every third Saturday at our Sacred Space Chauraha Auditorium, Secunderabad. The venue also hosts weekly story sessions, auditions, workshops and rehearsals. With over 1,000 shows and over 40 plays, the group continues to focus on young audiences. “It’s hard to sustain a model that waits for audiences to come to you. Theater has to adapt to changing tastes, shorter attention spans and the need to build new audiences,” says Kiran.

Actors training session is going on. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

From feeling uncertain about playing his father in the beginning to organizing the role’s first theater festival in 2025, Kiran says the journey has been fulfilling. He added, “The core team does the heavy lifting – I’m here to guide.”

As soon as the role is revived Mungitlo Natakam And as she prepares for her theater festival around Uday Bhanu’s birthday on May 16, Kiran is carrying on the legacy as both mentor and collaborator.

published – April 29, 2026 09:51 am IST