IHC Theatre Festival shines light on self-discovery, relationships, and patriarchy

New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) Stories of self-discovery, battles against patriarchy, the journey of a relationship spanning more than three decades, the fear of losing one's roots and more came to life on the stage at the IHC Theatre Festival here in a celebration of contemporary Indian theatre that has questioned, provoked, and enlightened audiences.

The 10-day festival, featuring 14 productions, opened on September 18 with Sarah Mariam and Amitesh Grover's "Mehroon" -- a musical tale of insatiable desire and unrelenting longing.

Woven with song and driven by a chorus of actor-singers, the play blurred the lines between reality and dream, offering a poignant, sensual, and deeply theatrical meditation on the mysteries of the heart.

The festival explored themes ranging from gender and caste to memory and modernity.

The opening play also set the tone for the rest of the festival that showcased stories with deeply human narratives, dealing with the complexities of people and places.

For instance, in Saurabh Nayyar's "Naam Mein Ka Rahwo Hai?" women choose their grooms on a magical full moon night of a contest of lies, storytelling, and self-discovery.

"We live by the stories we choose to believe — and beyond every riddle and falsehood, love remains the only enduring truth. I wanted to explore how narratives shape our lives — not just the ones we’re told, but the ones we tell ourselves. Even lies carry truth, and even truth can deceive. And somewhere in that tension, love quietly persists," director Saurabh Nayyar told PTI.

Another production, "Saanp Seedhi", based on Anthony Shaffer's "Sleuth", played around with "the fragile male ego, the hunger for control, and the fear of irrelevance".

"We often talk about power as something external, but in this story, power is psychological. It’s about how men weaponise wit and manipulation to protect a sense of self that’s constantly under threat," director Shubhrajyothi Barat said.

For Barat, the play's shifting dynamics mirror broader conversations about masculinity in contemporary society.

"It's dark, it's funny, and it's deeply uncomfortable -- which is exactly how truth often feels", he added.

Another well-received production, "Khichik", written by Shiv Subrahmanyam and translated and directed by Divya Jagdale, presented audiences with a humorous yet poignant depiction of a couple's journey -- from youthful college romance to the quiet regrets of middle age.

The play traces the lives of protagonists Pooja and Sanjeev, beginning with their college romance, through the ups and downs of their marriage -- she a professor, he a corporate professional -- and culminating in their reunion as they near their sixties. With "Kela Jamunwali", director Bhumika Dube places a woman's voice firmly at the centre.

The play followed a young girl named Kela, who dreams of selling her jamun fruit in the big city.

Set in 1950s India, Kela comes from a humble middle class family of an unassuming rural village that is plagued by patriarchal and orthodox religious traditions; some of which are prevalent even today.

Portraying Kela’s journey from a small village to self-realisation, Dube uses humour and poignancy to confront patriarchy.

"Kela's story is deeply rooted in the everyday realities of women who are told to shrink their dreams. "But it’s also about resilience -- about how women nurture life and hope even in hostile soil. Performing it as a solo piece lets me embody not just Kela, but the many forces that shape her world,” Dube said.

The festival was inaugurated by Chitranjan Tripathi, director of the National School of Drama, who highlighted the role of theatre in shaping social conversations, preserving cultural traditions, and inspiring creative courage.

"Theatre is not just performance; it shapes conversations, preserves cultural memory, and inspires creative courage," he said.

The festival concludes on Sunday with Faisal Rashid's "305 Galli Mantola", a play that delves into a community's struggle with change.

Set in a fading lane of Old Delhi, it evokes a deep sense of nostalgia while capturing the quiet pain of inevitable transformation. "This play is a love letter to places that refuse to be forgotten. Every lane in Delhi is layered with stories, and as the city transforms, those stories risk being erased. Through humour, heartbreak, and memory, I wanted to ask: how much of our identity is tied to what we refuse to let go of?" Rashid said. PTI MAH MG MG