For the Tamrapatr team, theatre is not about noise or spectacle, but about leaving the audience quietly unsettled, carrying a thought back home, even if only for a day. Written by Debasis Majumdar, translated into Hindi by the late Santvana Nigam, and designed and directed by Subhash Gupta, the play of Shiva production returns to Hyderabad on January 2 and 4, 2026, at Lamakaan, with creative partners Sharp Notes. Featuring performances by Subhash Gupta, Sruti Meher Nori, Niteesh Pandey, T Ameeth Kumar, Sahil Patil, Archisha Sinha, Neha Surana Bhandari and Kunal Satyajit, the play unfolds through an ordinary family’s life. Rooted in a text from the early 1980s, its political relevance, written decades ago, quietly mirrors what is unfolding across the world today, raising uncomfortable questions about greed, power and the cost of compromise.
Director Subhash Gupta, who has spent over six decades in theatre, is clear about what matters to him when building a cast. “The person I choose should be disciplined and devoted — the other things come later. I have worked with new people and moulded them into fine actors, because my aim has always been to awaken society and ensure the content is strong,” he says.
Subhash’s relationship with Hyderabad runs deep. Having moved from Delhi in 2004 after a long career in theatre and television, he slowly rebuilt his journey here, directing multiple plays and performing across cities. Speaking about why Tamrapatr now, he shares, “Niteesh and his group wanted to do another play because they were not comfortable with the kind of theatre happening in Hyderabad, which leaned towards comedy and cheap humour with no serious theatre. So I picked up this play written in the 1980s, we did readings, everyone liked it, and we decided to perform it to give Hyderabad audiences rich content.” He also noted how the political relevance, written decades ago, mirrors what is unfolding across the world today.
For actor Sruti Meher Nori, who plays Niharbala, the script was irresistible. “This play, in particular, stands out for its message and, more importantly, the way it has been said. The words, the dialogues, the choice of words and the strength within them felt impactful. While many scripts feel loose and less effective, this one truly resonates with the audience if they are receptive. It speaks about patriotism beyond freedom fighters, showing how we live, our ethics, values, and transparency, all said beautifully, engagingly and with layered writing that first drew me to the play,” she shares.
Lead actor Niteesh Pandey echoes that sentiment, crediting both the writer’s courage and the director’s refusal to dilute the text. “For me, the play came through, sir, and we trusted his instinct because every suggestion of his has always turned out beautiful, even comedy that touches deeper layers. When the script was out of print, he scanned his old copy and shared it with us. Once we read it in one sitting, we knew we had to do it. The writer’s courage, the relevance beyond India, and the honest mirror it holds made me say yes to this simple yet powerful story,” he notes.