10th Annual Vinod Doshi Theatre Festival

Vinod Doshi Theatre Festival celebrates a decade of passion for the stage!

Pune: In a world fast shrinking into the mobile phone screen, truly real experiences are few and far in between. Keeping the vibrant culture of theatre alive is the extremely popular Vinod Doshi Theatre Festival. Initiated in the memory of eminent industrialist and a passionate arts-lover Vinod Doshi, the festival has, arguably, curated the most fascinating line-up in India for a decade. Hosted in Pune, the festival is now in its 10th year and this one promises to be the most stellar one yet.

Over the past decade, the festival has staged plays in Marathi, Hindi, English, Gujarati, Kannada, Punjabi and even non-verbal languages. Works of great such as Vijay Tendulkar, Mohan Rakesh, IsmatChugtai, Girish Karnad, Sai Paranjpye, Naseeruddin Shah, RatnaPathak Shah, Kumud Mishra, Raghubeer Yadav, Pallavi Arun, Sunil Shanbag and IrawatiKarve have found a place here. Of special mention are India premieres of prominent plays GajabKahani, UneyPurey Shahar Ek, Sindhu, Sudhakar and Rum Aani  Itar that happened at the Vinod Doshi Theatre Festival. To celebrate the landmark year, this year’s festivities are soaked in nostalgia and come with a promise of the future.

The Theatre Festival opens with ‘Mahanirvan’ – a Modern Indian Theatre classic written by Satish Alekarand also being directed by him. The second day will see the performance of ‘Words Have Been Uttered’ a play which explores the expressions of dissent written by Sapan Saran and IrawatiKarnik and directed by Sunil Shanbag. Purva Naresh’s Hindi musical ‘Bandish 20-20000 Hz’ will be staged on Day 3 of the Festival. A unique performance arts piece ‘Mahabharata’ will be showcased on Day 4 of the Festival which is created using Puppets and live bodies by Delhi based and internationally acclaimed artist Anurupa Roy. The Festival will close with ‘Yayati’ – again a Modern Indian Theatre Classic written by Girish Karnad and directed by Arundhati Raja.

Said Dr.SaryuDoshi of the Vinod and SaryuDoshi Foundation, “I am delighted to announce the 10th anniversary edition of the Vinod Doshi Theatre Festival. This has been very close to all of us at the foundation. Over the past decade, we have seen increasingly enthusiastic patronage for the festival, reflecting not just on the quality of plays we curate but also the interest of the new generation in the performing arts. This is a platform for expression and performance that our team has worked tirelessly to create. With a lot of love, we bring to the people of Pune 5 days of a celebration of not just theatre and the performing arts, but life itself!”

Mr. Ashok Kulkarni, Festival Director,further added, “This has been an absolutely special decade. To add zing to the festivities, we are reviving two classical plays, one each in Marathi and Kannada, to bring them alive for a completely new audience. Yayati, Girish Karnad’s classic from the 60s, will be staged for the first time ever in Pune, and it is our special gift to our patrons who have given us so much love over the years. My favourite part of the festival is the post-play informal interaction between the makers and the audience. It is this spirit of open communication and access to the arts that the Vinod Doshi Theatre Festival aspires to keep alive.”

The festival is like a pilgrimage for art lovers all over Maharashtra, enthusiasts will be pouring in from other cities, too. If you love a brush with the old world and new, and meeting with fellow art-lovers keeps you excited, then head straight to the Vinod Doshi Theatre Festival. There’s something in it for everyone!

The Schedule