From a story based on William Shakespeare storm And an intense tale of the travails of three women in a series of storytelling sessions, this year’s Prithvi Theater Festival (PTF) offers a broad canvas. Add to this some music, dancing, discussions and drama screenings, and the choice becomes even more diverse.
Now in its 47th year, PTF has become a landmark in Mumbai’s cultural calendar. The festival, traditionally held to celebrate actor Prithviraj Kapoor’s birthday (November 3), will be held from November 1 to 17 this year. Interestingly, Motley Theater Group, a regular at PTF since it was founded by Naseeruddin Shah and Benjamin Gilani in 1979, is not on the program this time.
Like last year, one of the main attractions will be the performance of Dastangoi, Urdu art of storytelling. Delhi-based Dastangoi Collective, led by Mahmood Farooqui, will have three performances Dastan-e-GuruduttWritten and directed by Mehmood to mark the birth centenary of the legendary filmmaker-actor.
Mahmood Farooqui’s Dastangoi Collective will stage three productions this year. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Mahmood, who is credited with reviving Dastangoi in 2005, believes that the Earth is an ideal place for art. He elaborates, “Dastangoi performance is somewhere between a meeting and a formal gathering. What we did was keep it in stage form. We followed a lot of stage techniques and requirements like entry, exit and lighting, which did not exist earlier. In the beginning, the stories would be about magicians, tricksters, imagination, love and romance. They are fantastic stories which I cannot match.”
However, he feels there are other stories to tell as well. Dastanik Elements, whether derived from folk tales, magical realism or the lives of known personalities. Last year Dastangoi Collective had presented Dastan-e-Ahwal-e-KapoorWritten by Sibtain Shahidi and directed by Mehmood. “It was based on the life of Raj Kapoor and has been one of our most successful productions, using a lot of songs. The actors, Rana and Rajesh, are among the most senior Dastangos,,
Dastan-e-Gurudutt Premiere took place in Delhi in October. Mehmood says, “It’s not just about Guru Dutt, but about his times. I talk about the studio system in which he trained, about Geeta Dutt and about the golden era of the 1950s. It’s also about the ‘big four’ – Raj Kapoor, Bimal Roy, Mehboob Khan and Guru Dutt – and the films they made and the issues they raised.”
Dastangoi Collective is also performing in PTF Dastan-e-KabirWritten by advertising professional Udit Yadav and directed by Mehmood. “He has researched not only on Kabir but also his contemporaries and how his philosophy influenced generations. We are also presenting Story of Raja Vikram’s loveBased on folk tales by scholar AK Ramanujan and poetry by Mir Taqi Mir.”
Prithvi Theater trustee Zahaan Kapoor with his father Kunal Kapoor. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
PTF’s other theatrical productions include the imagination-rich production a fish ate my catDaniel D’Souza’s period drama, directed by Yuki Elias QueenMohit Takalkar’s brilliance anatomy of suicideAkarsh Khurana’s A good time to panic, based on stormand Atul Kumar AmbaAdapted from Greek Comedy LysistrataDirected by Mahabanu Modi Kotwal and Kaizad Kotwal Eden CreekWhich tells the story of six women in Calcutta after the Bengal famine of 1943.
Apart from plays and storytelling, PTF also features jazz by Luiz Banks and his group, sitar by Shujaat Hussain Khan, western classical music by pianist Isa Trott and SOI Chamber Orchestra and Bharatnatyam by Srima Upadhyay.
“The effort is to bring together some of the best directors from the fraternity,” says Zahaan Kapoor, trustee of Prithvi Theatre. His father, Kunal Kapoor, puts it succinctly, “The festival has always been about rejuvenating the world of theatre.
published – October 25, 2025 02:18 PM IST