In 1976, actor-director Dinesh Thakur started Ank Theater Group to promote Hindi theater in India. Its first production, ProposalIt lasted only 11 shows, but the group gained momentum after the launch of Prithvi Theater in Mumbai two years later. Prithvi provided a dedicated venue and a thriving theater ecosystem. Over the years, productions such as my heart is, wives’ seminary, Anji, run awayAnd The Lahore I have not seen Got tremendous success.
After Dinesh’s death in 2012, his wife Preeta Mathur Thakur carried forward his legacy. To celebrate the group’s golden jubilee this October, they have launched an original drama Veera Rani Abbakka: Queen of the Sea, Flame of Ullaala. It tells the story of the warrior queen of Ullala, a coastal principality near Mangaluru, who vows to avenge her mother’s defeat at the hands of the Portuguese. Preeta has written and directed the play, as well as playing the title role herself.
“We wanted to create a play that was in line with Dinesh’s vision. As a director, he worked across a range of genres, ranging from comedy and farce to tragedy, courtroom drama and adaptations of English plays. Although I first thought about Abbakka The project has been fully implemented as part of Anka’s 50-year celebrations more than a decade ago,” says Preeta.
The group’s golden jubilee celebrations actually began last year Sita BanabasDirected by Atul Tiwari and based on Agha Hashar Kashmiri’s 1928 classic. Focusing on the period after Sita’s banishment by Rama, the drama follows the protagonist, portrayed by Preeta, as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and liberation.
The portrayal of Sutradharas or Bhagavatas, who use the mannerisms and costumes of Yakshagana, was one of the main attractions of the drama. | Photo courtesy: Special arrangement.
Preeta’s association with Ank began in 1991. His early performances with the group were adal badal, please know And weather pleasantThe adaptations done by Dinesh allowed him to explore different aspects of acting. In 1993, two productions based on the works of Vijay Tendulkar, silent court continues And Anjifurther established him as an actor, although both plays were staged by the first act with other cast members. “Anji One of my favorite roles. It is about a 29-year-old woman who cannot find a husband. Eventually, I had to stop playing the character because there was a limit to how long I could play a 29-year-old girl,” she says, laughing.
After Dinesh passed away, Preeta took over the leadership of the score and focused on participating in theater festivals. “We kept doing popular plays like that,” she says. my heart is And The Lahore I did not see. since we closed AnjiI also wanted to add new submissions. First Sita BanabasLike the plays we staged Friends Marjani, the tunes are stuck and wandering. And our neeta’s wedding. We also ventured into English theater with William Shakespeare much Ado About Nothing“
Veera Rani Abbakka The number is the 88th production. The play began with performances at INT Aditya Birla Theater and Prithvi Theater in Mumbai, and is scheduled to be staged at the Experimental Theater on October 18 and Gadkari Rangayatan in Thane on October 24. Plans are also underway to take it to Bhopal for the Aadi Vidrohi Utsav in December, which celebrates historical insurgencies and resistance movements. “We want to take it to Mangaluru as well. Some people from the area saw our Prithvi theater performance and expressed interest,” says Preeta.
The idea of a play on Abbakka first came about a decade ago, when Preeta came across a video that mentioned Rani. She recalls, “Strangely, I found very little mention of him in the historical texts I read. However, during the pandemic, I came to know about his story.” Amar Chitra Katha. I was fascinated by the fact that this queen single-handedly kept the Portuguese at bay and helped confine them to Goa when they tried to take over the entire west coast.
Preeta approached Richa Sharad to write the dialogues. She says, “We based our work on accounts from various books, while also examining some conflicting reports. I conducted extensive research on the Deccan region, and discovered that the story of Abbakka was often told through the folk theater tradition of Yakshagana. Outside Karnataka, very few people knew about him. We pieced together the available material, carefully verifying its factual authenticity and chronological accuracy. In the process, we also discovered that the region Followed the matriarchal system, and had three or four Ababbakas in different generations.”
Preeta hopes that this project will help audiences beyond Karnataka discover the legend of Veera Rani Abbakka. | Photo courtesy: Special arrangement.
One of the highlights of the play is its use facilitator Or BhagwatWhose Yakshagana-inspired costumes and performance style provide authenticity to the narrative. To deepen her understanding of Rani’s world, Preeta visited Mangaluru, spoke to local experts and explored the region. She says, “I also met Dr Tukaram, who had set up a museum at Abbakka. The paintings and information preserved there helped us discover many lesser known details about the queen, including her preference for wearing white clothes during war.”
Preeta explains that her primary goal for Ank’s 50th year was to stage a new play. She says, “Dinesh was working on many original ideas, but was unable to complete those plays. I’m glad we could realize this project as a tribute to him.” The production aims to introduce the story of Veera Rani Abbakka to audiences beyond Karnataka.
published – October 12, 2026 07:12 PM IST