Rockville, Maryland, USA: Natya Bharati Marks 40 Years of Theatre with Special Maryland Performance
Natya Bharati, the Indian theatre group, was founded in 1984 by theatre visionaries Dr. Taverekere “Kanti” Srikantaiah and Vijay Deshpande.
Based in Washington, D.C., Natya Bharati presented two complementary shows of Dohri Zindagi (Dual Life) on September 20 and 21 at the Kreeger Auditorium in Rockville, Maryland.
These performances celebrated 40 years of support from the Indian-American community, highlighting the group’s longstanding presence in North America’s cultural landscape.
Dohri Zindagi, adapted from a story by Padma Shri Vijaydan Detha, delves into themes of love, identity, gender, and social justice, weaving these issues into folk-inspired storytelling.
The play questions patriarchal norms and entrenched social customs related to gender expectations and dowry, reflecting Natya Bharati’s commitment to producing socially conscious theatre.
As one of North America’s oldest Indian theatre groups, Natya Bharati has, since its inception, staged over 100 productions in both Hindi and English. Their repertoire spans classical works by Mohan Rakesh, Vijay Tendulkar, Girish Karnad, and Badal Sircar, as well as modern plays by Suneeta Misra, Sujit Rao, and Nishi Chawla.
The 40-year anniversary performance featured a large ensemble cast including Suma Muralidhar, Sushil Rattan, Sonia Arya, Nitshu Joshi, Rajiv Paul, Kshama Bute-Shinde, Pankaj Sharma, Pooja Tiwari, Nidhi Kundu, Debanjan Chowdhury, Siyona Dharkar, Shanaya Singh, Shruti Desai, and Manoj Tiwari. The production was directed by Chetna Gola and produced by Manoj Tiwari.
From its founding, Natya Bharati has aimed to bring high-quality South Asian theatre to the Washington, D.C., area, engage both first- and second-generation audiences, and foster local talent across all facets of stagecraft.
Over the decades, the group has grown and evolved alongside its community while remaining committed to its mission of creating meaningful, inclusive theatre experiences.
