'Chandni Raatein': Purva Ganesh to stage adaptation of Fyodor Dostoevsky's 'White Nights' in Delhi

New Delhi: Theatre actor-director Purva Naresh will bring to the stage a theatrical adaptation of Fyodor Dostoevsky's romantic short story, "White Nights", in "Chandni Raatein" with a creative fusion of music, dance, and acting based in Indian and Russian traditions.

Produced by Aadyam Theatre, an initiative of Aditya Birla Group, the play will be staged here at Kamani Auditorium on March 1-2.

Naresh adds rhythm, music and a new twist to the literary opus and transforms into an experiential, musical tale of love, longing, and fleeting connections.

"White Nights" has mesmerised cinema-goers and readers alike through various reimaginings for celluloid in German, French, Italian, and other languages, including Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s "Saawariya" in Hindi.

Dostoevsky’s groundbreaking literary work explores the rare phenomenon of St. Petersberg’s transient darkness, where the city experiences longer days and shorter nights. The narrative follows the protagonist, lost in a city full of known faces.

As he wanders on the streets of the city, he becomes enchanted by the beauty of a woman. Despite the bleakness and engulfing darkness in the air, a love story emerges, and the two find light in each other.

"Purva Naresh’s interpretation infuses a new perspective into this iconic story with cultural resonance and a good blend of emotions and humour. The story spans four nights, each exploring different perspectives — the deewana, the deewani, the man she yearns for, and a silent spectator who sees more than meets the eye," the organisers said in a statement.

With actor Mantra Mugdh and Girija Oak Godbole in the lead, the adaptation also introduces new characters to the narrative, uncovering the intricate layers of love, longing, and fate’s unexpected turn, while breathing moments of warmth and comedy.

"Through this multifaceted drama, Purva brings the other characters in the story to the forefront, along with the protagonists. Her flair for dabbling into the varied complexities of human life is seen with one of the most complex human emotions, love, being the central theme," they said.

The multi-genre fusion music for the play is composed by Kaizad Gherda while choreography is credited to Anjali Polite.

Other actors in the show include Danish Husain, Anamika Tiwari, Kaustav Sinha, Trupti Khamkar and Girish Sharma.