Prithvi Theatre Festival 2026 Brings 13 Premieres To Mumbai: What To Watch Before The Curtains Close

If your idea of a good November evening involves a theatre seat, a story that stays with you and a little time away from the usual city rush, Prithvi Theatre has plenty in store. The iconic Prithvi Theatre Festival 2026 returned in Juhu on November 1, bringing together established performers, fresh productions and experimental storytelling for 16 days of stage performances, music, workshops and screenings.

Running until November 16, this year’s festival features 13 premiere productions and 30 main-stage performances, alongside Fringe shows at Prithvi House, six National Theatre Live screenings, three concerts and three workshops. Here are some highlights to look out for.

Stories of survival, memory and identity

One of the festival’s major productions is Motley’s 27 Seconds, directed by Naseeruddin Shah with Arghya Lahiri as co-director. Inspired by Salman Rushdie’s memoir Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder, the English-language play reflects on the novelist’s 2022 attack and its aftermath. It is scheduled for November 2 and 3.

History and its impact on families also take centre stage in Everything We Forgot to Say. Written by Adhir Bhat and directed by Lillete Dubey, the play follows a family’s journey from Sindh to Mumbai, exploring Partition, displacement and memories passed down through generations. It is scheduled for November 13.

On November 12, Hamsa, written by Asad Hussain and directed by Rajit Kapur, revisits the kidnapping of Norwegian tourist Hans Christian Ostro during the Kashmir conflict in the 1990s.

Literature, mythology and contemporary concerns

Manav Kaul returns with the Hindi production Eak Haare Hue Kavi Ki Safal Kavita, which follows a poet grappling with writer’s block and creative choices. The play is presented by aRANYA on November 8.

Marathi theatre features Eka Natacha Mrutyu (An Actor Exits), Mahesh Elkunchwar’s poetic monologue directed by Atul Pethe and performed by Abhay Mahajan. Meanwhile, Eklavya – The Wronged re-examines the Mahabharata character through caste discrimination and exclusion.

The programme also takes on modern masculinity in Ashant Prashant, Anupam Barve’s Hindi adaptation of Penelope Skinner’s Angry Alan, featuring Shubhrajyoti Barat. Tibet Theatre’s Phayul, performed in Tibetan with English subtitles, explores homeland, identity and the loss of Tibet’s independence.

Comedy, music and storytelling

For a change of mood, Akvarious Productions presents The Crocodile, Tom Basden’s absurdist comedy directed by Akarsh Khurana. Swanand Kirkire’s Yo Brother, This Is 95 – A Musical revisits India in the 1990s and the cultural shifts around economic liberalisation.

Dance and oral storytelling also feature in the programme. Mamangam Dance Company’s Vattam, with Rima Kallingal as artistic director, draws on traditions surrounding the chenda. On November 15, the Dastangoi Collective presents Urdu storytelling performances Dastan-e-Musavvir Jadu and Dastan-e-Raahi.

More to explore beyond the main stage

Prithvi House hosts smaller-format performances across theatre, dance and storytelling. The festival’s six National Theatre Live screenings bring filmed British stage productions to Mumbai, including Arthur Miller’s All My Sons, featuring Bryan Cranston, and The Audience, starring Helen Mirren.

Workshops led by Ratna Pathak Shah, Makarand Deshpande and Kumud Mishra offer participants a chance to explore acting and theatre-making. Three music concerts spanning jazz and Indian and Western classical traditions round out the programme.

Founded in 1978 by Shashi Kapoor and Jennifer Kendal, Prithvi Theatre remains a key part of Mumbai’s intimate theatre culture. This year’s festival continues that legacy with stories moving between personal experience, history, politics, mythology and contemporary life.

When: November 1–16, 2026

Where: Prithvi Theatre and Prithvi House, Juhu, Mumbai

Published on: Tuesday, November 03, 2026, 11:42 AM IST