Latest news with #Aadyam
India Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Theatre: The moving story
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated June 2, 2025)Mumbai Star will mark the first time in its seven seasons that Aadyam—the Aditya Birla Group's decade-old initiative to promote theatre—presents a 'dance musical'. Director Nadir Khan says the play, which will be staged at Mumbai's St Andrew's Auditorium on May 24-25 and Delhi's Kamani Auditorium on June 14-15, is unlike 'anything I've ever done before'.advertisementHe says this even though, on paper, the production sounds similar to his last collaboration with Aadyam, 2018's #SingIndiaSing. They both feature and are named after fictional reality TV competition series. However, in Mumbai Star, the contest forms just '10 per cent of the story', which centres on aspiring dancer Dev who shifts from a coastal village to the titular city to follow his dreams. In Mumbai, he grapples with 'the exhilarating highs and crushing lows' of chasing fame. Khan describes the Hindi play as a tale 'of aspiration, hope and overcoming obstacles'.Unlike #SingIndiaSing, which was in English, with live singing, '85-90 per cent' of Mumbai Star is told through 'movement' set to recorded music by composer Dhruv Ghanekar. Because of this, Khan says, it's very much 'a co-creation' with choreographer Avantika Bahl and associate choreographer Surabhi Andrade. 'It wouldn't have existed without us getting onto the same page,' says Notably, there are only two actors, Rajit Kapur and Srishti Shrivastava, who serve as narrators, while the rest of the cast comprises 15 professional dancers who had to be 'multifaceted in terms of their knowledge of dance and mastery of their bodies'. That's because multiple forms are showcased on by Akarsh Khurana and Arghya Lahiri, with lyrics by Ishitta Arun, Mumbai Star was originally conceptualised by actor-producer Devika Shahani's The Dragon Rose Project for the Tokyo-based Min-On Concert Association, an organisation that promotes international performing arts exchanges. The play comes to India after a 20-city tour across Japan, where it was performed for 'more than 50,000 people' in of the reason it translated so well could be that most of the story is conveyed non-verbally. '[The dancers] are acting, but just with their bodies,' says Khan. 'The challenge was for them to make us feel a scene, and not just show beautiful movement.'Subscribe to India Today Magazine
The Hindu
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
The musical Mumbai Star is an ode to movement, music, people and the city
Theatre director Nadir Khan describes Mumbai Star as a 'dance musical. It is all about dance and dancers, but is set in a theatrical format as it uses narrators to tell a story. Our idea is to blend movement, music and lyrics with the theatrical element.' Mumbai Star was originally written by Devika Shahani, directed by Nadir, with music by Dhruv Ghanekar. In 2023, the team toured Japan for the Min-On Concert Association. However, when it was selected for Season 7 of Aadyam, the Aditya Birla Group's theatre initiative, it needed a fresh approach. Devika, who is the producer along with Nadir had the script reimagined, which was adapted by Akarsh Khurana and Arghya Lahiri. It also brought on board Rajit Kapur and Srishti Shrivastava as narrators. Mumbai Star begins its India run at Mumbai's St Andrew's Auditorium (May 24 and 25), followed by performances at New Delhi's Kamani Auditorium (June 14 and 15). Choreographed by Avantika Bahl, with music by Dhruv's and lyrics by Ishitta Arun, it features eight songs. While Nadir earlier directed theatrical productions such as The God Of Carnage, Twelve Angry Jurors and A Few Good Men, he also directed the 2018 musical Sing India Sing, written by Rahul DaCunha and Bugs Bhargava Krishna. Nadir says, ' While Sing India Sing helped me know all about the world of music, I got to learn about dance in Mumbai Star. Mumbai Star tells the story of Dev (played by Avenav Mukherjee), a young man from a coastal village of Maharashtra, who dreams of becoming a star. With only his raw talent and a small amount of cash, he arrives in Mumbai, hoping to win a dance competition. Though this genre has been explored before, Nadir believes, each storyteller has his own perspective and adds: 'The first thing is to tell the story truthfully and interestingly, but, different modes may be used. Creating memorable moments on stage is pure joy for a director.' A major emphasis was in choosing the right dancers. Avantika worked with guest choreographers Uma Dogra (Kathak), Vivaran Dhasmana (hip-hop) and Krutika Mehta (Bollywood). Says Bahl, 'The effort was to bring together various styles, interwoven within the expansive framework of contemporary dance. As Mumbai Star also captures the city's spirit, we wanted the movements to represent people from all walks of life.' Avantika shares the choreography was driven by Dhruv's music compositions. 'It was exciting and challenging to find a way for the varied dance forms to blend and lend themselves to the storytelling, without breaking the overall rhythm of the piece.' The dancers come with intense training in multiple forms. Avantika elaborates: 'All of them are performers, teachers, and in some cases, choreographers. It was a delight to be in a room full of dancers, who bring in enthusiasm, spirit and grit, willing to push boundaries and bring their own perspectives. For the actors, we made sure they too could get familiar with the movement vocabulary.' Nadir reiterates that the effort was to bring in dancers who could adapt to other styles. 'For instance, there is Arushi Nigam, who plays Koel. She is a ballerina, who also does contemporary and jazz. But, here she also has to do a lot of Kathak, which was new to her. So the training was rigorous. One can't master a dance form in a few days but one can master the choreography for a particular sequence.' This is the fourth production of Aadyam's Season 7 this year. The initiative aims to push artistic boundaries in theatre through a good mix of original and adapted stories. The current season has earlier featured The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, directed by Atul Kumar, Chandni Raatein, directed by Purva Naresh and Saanp Seedhi, directed by Shubhrajyoti Barat. Along with theatre personality Shernaz Patel, Nadir also plays the role of a programming consultant for Aadyam. He says, 'We invite pitches, shortlist and select the final lot after a round of meetings. Aadyam gives producers the wherewithal to build a show and run it, so the costs are taken care of. Aadyam wants these plays to be present in the theatre ecosystem for years, and that has been the case with many productions.' Nadir feels this role has helped him serve the cause of theatre by enabling other Indian directors to present some wonderful work. He says the response to this season's first three plays has been 'encouraging, and hopes Mumbai Star will offer a completely different experience'.
Indian Express
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘I've played their father, lover': Rajit Kapur on his three-decade-long career, relationship with co-stars, style, and more
It's no secret that Rajit Kapur is a master of his craft. Having spent over three decades in the entertainment industry, he is widely recognised for his rich and varied work across theatre, television, and cinema. From his iconic turn as the detective Byomkesh Bakshi in the acclaimed Doordarshan series, to his National Award-winning performance in The Making of the Mahatma, and impactful roles in Shaitan and Uri: The Surgical Strike, Kapur has consistently chosen substance over spectacle. As a founding member of Rage Productions alongside playwright Rahul da Cunha and fellow actor Shernaz Patel, Kapur has been instrumental in shaping contemporary Indian theatre. His latest outing – as a narrator in Aadyam Theatre's production Mumbai Star along with Srishti Shrivastava – marks yet another chapter in his commitment to pushing theatrical boundaries. In an interview with the veteran actor discusses the challenges of being a multi-faceted actor, his seamless transitions between the different performance mediums, his collaboration with Aadyam Theatre, and the invaluable lessons he learnt from a career dedicated to artistic exploration. Read the edited excerpts below: Rajit Kapur: One of the earliest challenges was starting our own production company – Rage Productions – that I run with Rahul da Cunha and Shernaz Patel. We were inspired by seniors performing classics, but wanted to do something contemporary, in our own voice. With that shared vision, we started the company with just Rs 14,000 in the bank. It sounds filmy, but that is how it began. Our first play was Tigers in the Congo, which dealt with AIDS, an important, topical subject. There were many challenges, but the idea was to keep going since we loved theatre. A post shared by Rajit Kapur (@rajitkapurofficial) Rajit Kapur: Aadyam launched a decade ago with Mr Birla's backing, something rare in theatre. Few people are willing to invest in this art form. Aadyam provided fledgling and established groups the chance to raise the bar with capital, production value, and creative freedom. Rage's The Siddhus of Upper Juhu was one of the five plays in Aadyam's first season, and it's still running, even after 10 years. Guess we are blessed with that particular show. For Mumbai Star, Devika, the producer, and Nadir, the director, are close friends, so there was already mutual trust and a certain comfort level. The show originally existed as a dance production that Devika took to Japan. It was reworked to include narrative elements, and that's where Srishti and I came in. We had to integrate storytelling without disrupting the rhythm of the dance – something 15 incredible dancers put their soul, life, and everything into this production. It's high energy and quite the adrenaline rush. Rajit Kapur: It's hard to explain, but I've got used to doing this balancing act. Recently, I spent a year and a half working on Sardar Patel: Game Changer for Doordarshan—my return to television after a long gap. I think I look for material that excites and challenges me, across mediums. If something makes me stretch my limits as an actor, and I can say, 'I don't think I've done this before, don't think this is very comfortable,' I would try it. That's what makes me do this so-called balancing act. Rajit Kapur: Lots of things. Discipline, for one. There's a certain sense of grounding, building step by step, brick by brick. The whole process of working on a play, the rehearsal, these are fulfilling. There's nothing to beat that. Every performance may differ, but the process becomes a part of you. Cinema is more fragmented. Collaboration doesn't always happen in the same way, but it's changing for the good. On stage, you're the driver. Mistakes are yours to navigate. But in cinema, you're part of a much larger mechanism—direction, cinematography, editing—all of which shape the final product. Rajit Kapur: COVID taught me a lot about slowing down and cherishing small things—walking on the beach, watching the sunrise. I've developed a deeper respect for nature, which automatically determines your day and lifestyle. So I think giving myself me-time, whether it just means quietly sitting and reading a book, has become more important. Rajit Kapur: On stage, there can be no one other than Shernaz Patel, because we've worked together for over 35 years. And when you build that kind of trust with and respect for each other, you can do anything together. Another person I've built that connection with, because we've done films together, is Rajeshwari Sachdev. In both cases, I've played their father, and I've played their lover. It's something you build over time, but I think the most essential thing is trust. Rajit Kapur: I've never really thought in terms of 'making it'. There was no fixed target or goal. I've always just wanted to do fulfilling work, projects that push me, energize me, and help me grow. So, there's no metre to judge that. I don't know whether that is successful or not, it has never played in my mind. I have never thought of 'I want to have this big mansion and that huge car.' I just want to do good work and have enough at my disposal to be able to travel. Rajit Kapur: Oh, there are so many. And believe me, even in our country. I still sometimes tell myself, 'My God, I haven't been to Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves and it's just an hour's flight away.' I want to go to Greece, to look at all those historical buildings and see what that has to offer, to Machu Picchu, to Cambodia, to the Kaziranga forest sanctuary, and to see the rhinos. The list keeps increasing. Rajit Kapur: Oh, it's totally me. And that's something right from college. I used to wear bright coloured trousers when I was in Sydney and people used to look at me as if I'd fallen from some other planet. I don't care about what anyone thinks. I create my style. I think it always catches eyeballs because there was a time where I was living in pyjamas and I would design them and create them myself. Not because I thought it was some style, but because I liked it and I thought they were just very comfortable. A post shared by Rajit Kapur (@rajitkapurofficial) Rajit Kapur: It's a very simple story, but the most incredible thing is that the 90 minutes of this play is infused with so much energy that you are going to go back feeling good about yourself. Rajit Kapur: There are no shortcuts. You have to build a solid foundation, whether it is through training, assisting, and doing courses. To play with yourself, to explore yourself, to open yourself out, you need to build it slowly. When your foundation is strong, nothing can shake you. And of course, that passion should be there because it's not going to be an easy path. And neither is it a '9 to 5' job where there is a structure. Swarupa is a Senior Sub Editor for the lifestyle desk at The Indian Express. With a passion for storytelling, she delves into the realms of art & culture, fitness, health, nutrition, psychology, and relationships, empowering her readers with valuable insights. ... Read More
The Hindu
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘Saanp Seedhi' play preview: Sumeet Vyas and Kumud Mishra star in this remake of ‘Sleuth'
Aadyam Theatre's latest offering, Saanp Seedhi, promises Bengaluru audiences an edge-of-the-seat experience. Adapted from Anthony Shaffer's Tony Award-winning psychological thriller Sleuth, the Hindi play is directed by Shubhrajyoti Barat and stars Kumud Mishra and Sumeet Vyas. After a successful run in Delhi, it is set to play at Ranga Shankara on May 9 and 10. At its heart, Saanp Seedhi is a lethal game of manipulation and deception between two men: a flamboyant film producer, Anil Wadhwa (played by Kumud), and his wife's lover, Mayank Tiwari (Sumeet). Set against the backdrop of Anil's sprawling, slightly surreal home in Goa, what starts as a seemingly civil confrontation soon spirals into a dangerous psychological battle where nothing is quite what it seems. For director Shubhrajyoti, Sleuth was a play that had lived rent-free in his mind for years. 'As a director or anyone involved in theatre, there are always plays you keep returning to,' he says. 'When Aadyam gave me the platform, it felt like the perfect time to bring it to life, especially with actors like Kumud and Sumeet on board.' But Shubhrajyoti was clear from the start that he did not want a mere translation; he wanted an adaptation that felt rooted in Indian soil. Collaborating with playwright Akarsh Khurana, the team reimagined Shaffer's aristocratic British world into something more recognisably Indian. 'Instead of the original's mystery novelist, Anil is now a B-grade film producer who has climbed up the ladder. This adds complexity to his character, a self-made man whose ego and insecurities play out in fascinating ways,' he explains. Visually, too, Saanp Seedhi tries to experiment. The set, Shubhrajyoti says, is designed with a backdrop of the sky and intentionally unfinished walls and ceiling, creating a liminal space that mirrors the characters' unraveling psyches. 'It's like the house could meet infinity or fall apart at any moment,' he says. 'We also use a puppet as a silent observer, adding an extra layer of tension.' For Sumeet, stepping into the shoes of Mayank Tiwari was a long-awaited moment. 'I had read Sleuth years ago and was supposed to perform it back then, but it didn't happen,' he says. 'So, when this opportunity came along, I felt both excited and relieved.' His character, Mayank, is more than just the 'other man.' 'He appears earnest and straightforward, but there's another side to him — a deep-seated reaction to bullying that makes him unpredictable. He's not just a victim; he takes action, and that makes him interesting to play.' Despite a busy career across web series and film, Sumeet says returning to theatre was both thrilling and nerve-racking. 'I haven't opened a new play in almost a decade, so I was really excited to get back to rehearsals, make mistakes, and rediscover that process. It's the good kind of nervousness,' he admits. Both Sumeet and Shubhrajyoti highlight the strong bond between the cast, especially the dynamic between Sumeet and Kumud. Having worked together before, their friendship adds a layer of trust and freedom on stage. Shubhrajyoti, who has known both actors personally for years, says directing close friends brought its own set of challenges. 'It can be awkward shifting from friend to director, but with actors of this calibre, you don't have to micromanage. It's more about guiding the characters' arcs while trusting their instincts,' he says. Shubhrajyoti feels the thriller is an underexplored genre on the Indian stage made it especially appealing. 'Thrillers are rarely done in theatre, and that scarcity was part of the attraction. A well-written script like this almost directs itself. You just need to represent it honestly, and it does the rest,' he says. The 90-minute Hindi play is for ages 15 and above. Catch it on May 9 and 10 at 7.30pm at Ranga Shankara. Tickets on BookMyShow.
