PUNE: Dushyanth Gunshekar, who has spent the past 13 years bringing socially relevant plays to the stage through his theatre group Crea-Shakthi, while also providing sustainable income and security for theatre artists and developing theatre-based education programs in Tamil Nadu, has been awarded this year’s prestigious Tanveer Natyadharmi Award 2025. Every year, the award is jointly presented by Rupvedh Pratishthan and the Maharashtra Cultural Center, Pune.
The award will be conferred upon Gunshekar at a special ceremony to be held on Sunday, November 16th at 7:00 pm at Shreeram Lagoo Rang-Avkash, Hirabaugh Chowk, Tilak Road. The award will be presented by Dr. Abhilash Pillai, who will also deliver the keynote address on the topic “Reimagining the Ring: The Indian Circus Between Tradition, Theatre, and the Future.” This information was shared by Maharashtra Cultural Centre Secretary Rajesh Deshmukh.
Now in its 18th year, the Tanveer Natyadharmi Award is presented annually to young theatre artistes who have made outstanding contributions to the field. The award was instituted in 2004 by Dr. Shreeram Lagoo and Deepa Lagoo in memory of their son Tanveer.
About Dushyanth Gunshekar
With a background in forensic auditing, Dushyanth Gunshekar founded his own theatre company at the age of 23, driven by a passion for the art form that began in school under the guidance of theatre professionals from Koothu-P-Pattarai and Magic Lantern. Inspired by his teachers and mentors, he established Crea-Shakthi in 2012 to take theatre to more young people and create sustainable livelihoods for theatre artistes.
Over the past 13 years, Crea-Shakthi has evolved into a dynamic repertory company that performs original plays in both Tamil and English, often addressing social issues through the lens of the younger generation. The group has collaborated with noted theatre personalities, including Mahesh Dattani, Zarin Shihab, and Abishek Kumar.
Crea-Shakthi has promoted more than 800 artistes, supported their creative work, and staged over 90 plays and 1,700 performances across India and abroad, with a strong presence in Tamil Nadu.
To engage younger audiences and sustain its artistes, the group has developed and implemented a Theatre-in-Education curriculum across both private and public schools in Tamil Nadu. This program helps students develop essential life skills such as communication, collaboration, and critical thinking.
All Crea-Shakthi trainers are full-time theatre professionals who receive salaries with Provident Fund (PF) and medical benefits made possible by an innovative financial model created by the company’s founders. From working with one school in 2012, Crea-Shakthi now partners with over 140 schools and reaches more than 100,000 students in 2025.