Mumbai, March 4th 2026: Following the enthusiastic response to last year’s edition, the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) returns with the 2026 edition of the Vasant – Gujarati Theatre Festival, its annual celebration of Gujarati theatre and performance traditions.
Scheduled from Thursday, 12th March to Sunday, 15th March 2026, the festival will unfold across multiple venues on the NCPA campus, including the Experimental Theatre, Tata Theatre, Godrej Dance Theatre, Little Theatre and West Room 1, presenting an eclectic programme of plays, spoken word, stand-up comedy and immersive workshops that reflect the evolving landscape of Gujarati storytelling today.
Opening the festival is Shakespeare Mharo Jamai, directed by Dhrumit Chauhan, a Rajasthani folk play that follows Banjara storytellers as they discover unexpected parallels between Shakespearean drama and their own oral traditions. Blending satire, humour and live folk music, the production explores the universality of human emotion across languages and cultures.
The festival also introduces Gujarati stand-up comedy to its line-up with That’s So Viraj – With Friends, performed by popular content creator Viraj Ghelani. The show captures the quirks and warmth of everyday Gujarati family life through relatable humour and storytelling designed for audiences across generations.
Continuing the festival’s commitment to artistic learning and exchange, two hands-on workshops invite participants to explore the craft of theatre beyond performance. Between the Lines, conducted by theatre practitioner Ankit Gor, examines execution and presence through rehearsal-based exercises, while Unfreeze Unlearn, led by actor and facilitator Vishal Shah, focuses on improvisation, active listening and overcoming creative inhibition through collaborative practice.
Among the festival’s major theatrical presentations is Akoopar, directed by Aditi Desai and based on Dhruv Bhatt’s celebrated novel. Set within the Gir forest, the play offers an immersive portrait of the Maldhari community, exploring their philosophy of coexistence with nature and the fragile balance between conservation and livelihood through music, movement and storytelling.
Director Manoj Shah’s Socrates revisits the trial of the ancient Greek philosopher through a contemporary lens, drawing striking parallels between Socratic inquiry and Indian philosophical traditions. The production examines themes of morality, freedom of thought and self-examination that continue to resonate in present times.
Gujarati poetry and spoken word find expression in Choggo, created and directed by Saumya Joshi alongside poets Anil Chavda and Bhavesh Bhatt. Drawing from the idiom of everyday life, the performance reimagines poetry presentation as a collective theatrical experience rooted in the rhythms of the street and the voices of ordinary people.
Bringing the festival to a vibrant close is Lagna – The Musical, directed by Pritesh Sodha with music composed by Parth Bharat Thakkar. Featuring reimagined traditional wedding songs, the musical blends humour, nostalgia and contemporary storytelling to explore generational expectations through the lens of a Gujarati wedding.
Bruce Guthrie, Head, Theatre & Films, NCPA, said, “We are delighted to welcome Gujarati-speaking audiences back for Vasant at the National Centre for the Performing Arts. Gujarati theatre plays a central role in Mumbai’s cultural life, and this year’s programme reflects both its depth and its range.
Alongside strong theatre work such as Shakespeare Mharo Jamai, Akoopar (The Infinite), Socrates, and Lagna the Musical, the festival expands into spoken word with Choggo, workshops like Between the Lines and Unfreeze Unlearn, and comedy events, including That’s So Viraj – With Friends. Together, these events show Gujarati storytelling as a living tradition, playful, thoughtful, political, and constantly evolving.”
“We are also delighted to have our food partners, Soam, back on campus this year, bringing a taste of Gujarat that complements the work on stage and makes Vasant a festival you can experience with all your senses.
At the NCPA, our aim is to create space where artists and audiences can meet across generations and forms. Vasant reflects that ambition – rooted in heritage, open to new voices, and very much part of the cultural life of Mumbai today.”
The Vasant Gujarati Theatre Festival has become an important platform for showcasing experimental and progressive work alongside established theatrical forms. By bringing together playwrights, performers, poets and audiences within one campus, the festival continues to nurture dialogue around language, identity and performance traditions.
The box office is now open for members and the public.
