Delhi’s theatre scene springs to life this week with the return of the Sheila Bharat Ram Theatre Festival, hosted by the city’s iconic Shri Ram Centre of Performing Arts (SRPCA). This year, the repertory brings four in-house productions to the stage — each one distinct in form and spirit — as part of a growing effort to spotlight Hindi theatre’s depth, diversity, and relevance in the digital age.
“This festival isn’t just about showcasing good scripts, it’s about keeping the fire of live performance alive,” says Hemant Bharat Ram, executive vice president of SRPCA. “In a world where media consumption has become extremely individualistic and mostly online, theatre stands out as something truly unique.”
The 2025 lineup includes playwright Girish Karnad’s celebrated historical dramas Tughlaq and Agni Aur Barkha, Ram Dayal Sharma’s folk-infused Daaku Sultana, and the new, contemporary play Stuck by Maneesh Verma. Each brings a different theatrical language to the stage — from epic period drama and musical folk traditions to slice-of-life realism.
Daaku Sultana, performed in the traditional Nautanki style of Uttar Pradesh, blends narrative, song, and live instrumentation. “It’s like a musical,” Ram explains. “There’s no spoken dialogue — everything is sung. It’s entirely live, with real musicians on stage. So not only do you get entertained, but you also learn a bit about folk theatre and regional performance styles.”
Meanwhile, Verma’s Stuck offers a glimpse into contemporary urban relationships, built around realistic acting and current themes. In contrast, Tughlaq continues to be a crowd-puller, even a decade on, while Agni Aur Barkha is praised as one of Karnad’s most powerful works.
But beyond the plays themselves, the festival also makes a larger point — about theatre as a living, breathing form in the age of screens. “Theatre is the ultimate 3D format”, says Ram. “You’re seeing it live. It’s not a two-dimensional screen. And unlike a film, there are no retakes. Every performance is unique — shaped by how the actors feel, how the audience responds. It’s raw, real, and dynamic.”
He adds, “Most importantly, it’s a community experience. You’re not watching alone. You’re part of a group, reacting together. That shared energy — the laughter, the stillness, the applause — becomes part of the play itself. That’s something no online medium can replicate.”
In a time when short-form reels dominate and binge-watching is the norm, the Sheila Bharat Ram Theatre Festival offers a space for detaching from digital screens, and connecting with stories, performers, and fellow viewers.
The festival runs till June 8, at the Shri Ram Centre Auditorium, Mandi House. Tickets are available via BookMyShow.