A new stage is going to be built at Lamakaan in Hyderabad this weekend as theater group Play of Shiva will stage its Hindi play lasht(‘‘Lash’ means ‘body’ in Hindi.) VisH. A temporary performance space with fire arrangements to mimic a crematorium will be set up in front of the open-air stage in the venue to create a realistic experience for theater lovers.

The story, written by Oriya writer and IIT Ropar professor Suryasnata Tripathi, has been modified into a play format by theater actor and director Nitish Pandey, who plays the lead role of a man who burns dead bodies in a graveyard. When he finds three wishes written on paper in the pocket of an abandoned dead body, he takes it upon himself to fulfill those wishes. The 90-minute play puts Play Off Shiva co-founder Nitish Pandey in focus on the stage, with certain characters entering and exiting at regular intervals.

dark comedy

A scene from the drama Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The philosophy of dark comedy focuses on the correlation of an inseparable and continuous cycle between life and death, its non-complex narrative in the northern Hindi dialect makes it light-hearted to watch. Shruti Mehar, co-founder of the group, says, “If this man is able to respect the wishes of a dead person, then it is only right that when we are alive, we should respect the sentiments of the people around us and not be self-obsessed.”

Nitish Pandey in a scene from the drama. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Since its debut in Bengaluru in 2022, the play has had five stagings in Bengaluru and Hyderabad. “This is the first time we are coming down to the audience’s level to bring it closer to them.” The play’s setting utilizes trees and an elevated concrete space in the atmosphere, with the central gate of Lamakan as the backdrop. “The audience will turn to watch the play.”

Lash’t Wish will be staged at Lamakan, Banjara Hills on April 18 and 19 at 8 pm; ticket bookmyshow