The name Alkazi is not new, its association with theater goes back decades. Saudi-Indian theater director Ibrahim Alkazi was a well-known name in the theater world, and his son Faisal Alkazi, is a theater veteran who has made his mark in the field with over 300 plays across various genres in a career spanning 53 years.
Despite the years, Faisal says he remains as interested in the process of directing plays as he was when he first started. “I do plays that I don’t know how to direct. I’m always working with a different set of characters, actors and scenes. That’s how I learn and unlearn, and it’s never the same process twice. There’s a lot of experimentation involved and that’s what I like.”
Ruined And jigsawThey say, are relevant even today. Both of them are produced by Delhi-based Ruchika Theater Group, known for its socially-relevant plays.
Ruined It is a Hindi adaptation of Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play. devastatedFaisal says it examines the brutal intersections of conflict, exploitation and survival, themes that feel even more urgent today,
Faisal says while the original play is set in Congo, the Indian adaptation is not that different except in geography. “When I first read it a decade ago I was struck by how “Indian” this play was. In any conflict or civil war, women are usually the victims of crimes committed. The conflict becomes a battlefield for all kinds of ideologies and women are always caught in the crossfire because they are situated at the edge of vulnerability.”
After obtaining Notage’s consent, Feisal made the adaptation. Ruined in Hindi, and was scheduled to be staged in 2020, but was pushed to 2025 due to the pandemic. “Even though it took five years, I wanted to bring it to the stage because I am personally invested in the story. Ruined “This is not just about devastation, but a reflection of how systems of power work in different geographies and how easily society learns to look away.”
Faisal says that his directing process has changed ever since he started directing. “When you are young you tend to be dictatorial. But, as I have grown in this field, my process of directing has also evolved. Now, people tell me that I have become democratic and there is variety in what I do.”
That’s how Faisal came to choose his second play for the weekend. jigsaw is a bittersweet contemporary comedy that looks at identity, parenting, and relationships through the lens of three adults searching for their origins. It is presented by a group of 13 actors spanning five decades. Faisal says, “At its core, this production is a warm, human exploration of what family means in a fractured, contemporary world.”
Faisal Alkazi’s jigsaw It will be staged at Ranga Shankara in Bengaluru on Saturday (January 3, 2026). , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The play tells the story of an angry Parsi man on his deathbed who discovers three adults born from his sperm donation – Larissa, Haritas and Swetha – are struggling with their identities.
Although they do not meet each other on stage, the story connects all three of them through the father. “The actors’ ages range from 20 to 70, so there’s a wide range, which excites me. I like the actors acting their age rather than wearing make-up and pretending.”
For Faisal, Bengaluru is as exciting a place as his hometown Delhi. Both the plays are being staged in Bengaluru after the Delhi premiere. “I like to bring an interesting mix of plays to the audience. I choose diverse subjects because the audience in Bengaluru is diverse.”
Faisal believes that films are a commercial creation and theater has a loyal group of audiences who are engaged with different subjects. “Films are always based on box-office and I’m not into that,” says Faisal. He believes there are a lot of books that can be adapted and Faisal’s favorite genre is period drama. “I’m also attracted to the women’s movement and gender-related topics.”
Faisal had always wanted to do an adaptation from a writer, Fyodor Dostoevsky. “I’ve tried Maxim Gorky, Leo Tolstoy Anna Karenina And Anton Chekov. i look forward to trying crime and punishment And Brothers Karamazov Sometimes.”
Barbad will be staged at Ranga Shankara on January 2 at 7.30 pm. Jigsaw will be presented on January 3 at 3:30 pm and 7:30 pm. Tickets on bookmyshow.com.
published – January 02, 2026 01:47 PM IST