A timid man is on stage narrating the story of a supernatural event that occurred in his own life a few years ago. Another man, a theatre actor by profession, is aiding him in the narration by teaching him to present with feeling and emotion. Over the course of the next hour and a half, a rapt audience is privy to the enactment of this story, with both men interchangeably donning various roles. In the end comes a shocking denouement that gives the chills to everyone watching. This is the premise of ‘Ankahi – The untold story of The Woman in Black’, which is the Hindi language adaptation of the English classic horror story by Susan Hill called ‘The Woman in Black’. It is an apt choice to open season eight of the annual and highly anticipated Aadyam Theatre Festival.
“Aadyam Theatre, since its inception, has been synonymous with theatrical excellence in India,” explains Akarsh Khurana, Artistic Director of Aadyam Theatre. “This pioneering theatre initiative by the Aditya Birla Group, is back for its eighth season with renewed vigour, great storytelling, and remarkable performances across Mumbai and Delhi. The new season begins on an exciting note with its very first play, Ankahi, debuting in Delhi. It’s also the first time that the supernatural thriller genre is being attempted under the Aadyam initiative. We Gopal datt & rohit Chaudhary – Ankahi – Aadyam theatre Season 8. Akarsh Khurana – Artistic director Aadyam theatre are all set to deliver scale, ambition and theatrics on live stage.”
Ankahi, directed by Vikranth Pawar, opened in a packed Kamani Auditorium on March 28 in Delhi. Originally adapted for the stage by Stephen Mallatratt, the English version of this play bears the distinction of being one of the longest-running productions in the West End.
Director Pawar shares its story, “Ankahi is the chilling tale of Sandeepan Chauhan, a middle-aged lawyer, who is afflicted with a haunting secret from his past. Unable to find words to unburden Nadir Khan – Aadyam theatre himself from this truth, he resorts to a young, sceptical actor to turn his tryst with horror into a staged performance. As the performance takes shape, the audience is immersed in Chauhan’s past, where a simple, legal matter to settle the estate of a deceased woman, Fatima Ilyas, turns into a nightmare. As the story unfolds, the lines between reality and performance blur and Chauhan relives his terror while the young actor gets more and more involved in the story. This supernatural thriller navigates themes of truth and grief, while exploring the question – does the act of facing our darkest Vikranth Pawar – director of Ankahi – Aadyam theatre truth guide us towards the light, or does it pull us even deeper into the darkness?”
Actor Rohit Chaudhary of Bareilly ki Barfi, Jabariya Jodi, and The Forgotten Army fame plays the young actor, and Gopal Datt who has previously worked in Tere Naam, Bunty Aur Babli 2, and Delhi Crime, portrays the lawyer Sandeepan Chauhan. Pawar ably directs this psychological thriller with its many plot twists and turns. Before his Aadyam debut, Pawar directed the classic fairy tale ‘Beauty and the Beast’, bringing the Disney Broadway-style musical to India rohit Chaudhary & Gopal datt – Ankahi – Aadyam theatre Season 8. Gopal datt & rohit Chaudhary – Ankahi – Aadyam theatre Season 8. for the first time.
Pawar shares, “Ankahi – The untold story of The Woman in Black is 90 minutes of pure drama and thrill on stage. This genre of supernatural thriller is a whole different experience in the live medium of theatre. The scares are that much more real; the spook is that much more eerie, and the drama is that much more tense. The play is truly what theatre has to offer in its raw and unbound form where the Ankahi story of The Woman in Black doesn’t just unfold on stage, it does even in your imagination.”
Aadyam Theatre’s latest season has been helmed by Artistic Directors Nadir Khan and Akarsh Khurana, who are joined by Shernaz Patel and Ipshita Singh Chakraborty in the overall curation. Khan shares, “I’m very pleased to extend my association as Artistic Director for another season of Aadyam Theatre. Aadyam continues to be an extremely valuable part of our theatrical landscape and the continued commitment and support by Mr. Birla and the Aditya Birla Group to facilitate this wonderful opportunity for theatre practitioners and audiences alike, cannot be underestimated. The programming for the new season was conducted by a curation panel and received over 50 proposals from across the country, in a very short period of time. We are consistently encouraged by the theatre community’s enthusiasm and support for this very important initiative. Our first production is a supernatural thriller directed by Vikranth Pawar – Ankahi. With Vikranth’s experience of creating largescale and immersive productions, this promises to be a very exciting and innovative start to this season of Aadyam Theatre.”
To this, Khurana adds, “I’ve been involved with Aadyam since the beginning in some capacity or the other. I have written, directed, and produced plays across seven seasons. I’ve also been an audience member, lighting operator, and podcast host, on occasion. This is the first time on the other side, where I get to be involved more intrinsically – selecting the plays, guiding the theatre makers and facilitating all the exciting off-stage initiatives. Aadyam has been a wonderfully encouraging platform for Indian theatre, and it is quite a privilege to be able to represent it. We’re starting the latest iteration with a new genre. Ankahi, an Indian adaptation of the frightening classic The Woman in Black, is a psychological thriller with supernatural overtones, which promises to be an eerily immersive experience. And we can’t wait to see how audiences react to it.”
He summarises: “For more than a decade now, Aadyam Theatre has steadily built a body of work rooted in artistic intent – championing innovation, reimagining contemporary texts, and creating theatre that is both rigorous and relevant. Last season, the numbers spoke for themselves – a footfall of over 25,000 through the season, is testament to the fact that the Indian audience is hungry for fresh and genuine storytelling. With luminaries like Sunil Shanbag, Atul Kumar, Nadir Khan and Purva Naresh lending their creative direction and actors such as Kumud Mishra, Akash Khurana, and Girija Oak Godbole owning the stage, it boasts a roster of some of Indian theatre’s finest talents. But what makes this endeavour truly stand out is its commitment to nurturing emerging voices and stories from across the country. Aadyam Theatre will continue this enduring legacy while experimenting with uncharted territory – quite literally, as the first play of the season delves into the supernatural space for the first time.”
Tickets for all shows can be booked on BookMyShow. Noor Anand Chawla pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com.
