The opening night of the Prithvi Theatre Festival (Nov 1) was one of those rare evenings when Mumbai’s cultural heart, beat a little louder.
Come November, and this quiet, tree-lined compound tucked away in Juhu transforms into a magnet for everyone who has ever loved the thrill of live storytelling. There’s no red carpet, nor paps and certainly no celebrity airs here, its just the shared joy of being part of something iconic, as the 17-day celebration of theatre opens its doors to all.
Kunal Kapoor, Trustee of Prithvi Theatre, along with his children Zahan and Shaira On Saturday night, the intimate Juhu haven came alive with laughter, camaraderie, and that palpable buzz of anticipation. Stars, actors, writers, theatre veterans, and drama students stood united by their love for the stage.
The opening night drew a glittering crowd from Mumbai’s cultural and film circles, turning the leafy Prithvi campus into a vibrant blend of nostalgia and new beginnings — proof that even after nearly five decades, the magic of Prithvi remains as captivating as ever.
Zahan Kapoor, Trustee of Prithvi Theatre, shared, “Prithvi Festival is for me a truly magical time, and the buzz of excitement and warmth I find extremely infectious. I want to invite everyone to come, join us for this celebration.” Actor Saif Ali Khan, added, “There is a spectacular event planned for the next 17 days and I’m going to attend at least four of these. Prithvi Theatre is the most intimate, romantic, and wonderful theatre in the world, I’d say.”
Saif Ali Khan, Kunal Kapoor, Vishal and Rekha Bhardwaj
Sanjana and Kunal Kapoor, Shaira and Zahan Kapoor
(L-R) Shweta Tripathi, Trishla Patel, Makarand Deshpande and Ahana Kumra
Among those in attendance were members of the Kapoor family, including Kunal Kapoor, Trustee of Prithvi Theatre, along with his children Zahan and Shaira, and his sister Sanjana Kapoor. Neila Devi Kapoor, wife of the late Shammi Kapoor, also graced the occasion. The star-studded guest list included Saif Ali Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Zoya Akhtar, Vishal and Rekha Bhardwaj, Makarand Deshpande, Akash Khurana, Salim Arif, Swanand Kirkire, Pratik Gandhi, Bhamini Oza, Vinay Pathak, Vrajesh Hirji, Rajat Kapoor, Feroz Abbas Khan, Neena Gupta, Aditya Rawal, Denzil Smith, Mahesh Bhatt, Pooja Bhatt, Soni Razdan, Masaba Gupta, Satyadeep Mishra, Shaheen Bhatt, Trishla Patel, Nayaab Udhas, Ahana Kumra, Sonali Kulkarni, Divya Dutta, Shweta Tripathi and her husband Chaitanya Sharma, along with Vivan Shaan, Eden Kesang, Heeba Shah, and several others from Mumbai’s vibrant theatre and film community.
The festival, on till November 17, continues to be Mumbai’s enduring celebration of live performance — where stars, students, and stage lovers come together under one roof to keep the city’s theatrical spirit alive.
Some of the standout performances at this year’s festival include Dur Se Brothers’ A Fish Ate My Cat, written and directed by Yuki Ellias, featuring Abhishek Saha, Yuki Ellias, Kunaal Sangtani, Mati Rajput, Kurian Joseph, Petra Misquitta, and Latoya Mistral Ferns-Advani.
Also on the lineup is Poor Box Productions’ Eden Creek, written by Dwight Watson, adapted by Kaizaad Kotwal, and directed by Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal and Kaizaad Kotwal. The play stars Heeba Shah, Swati Das, Kathryn Doshi, Rhea Amin, Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal, and Devaki.
From 72° East Productions, The Queen—written by Aditya Rawal and directed by Daniel D’Souza—features Puja Sarup, Danish Hussain, Mukul Chadda (double cast), Sharvari Deshpande, Rohit Mehra, and Dheer Hira (double cast).
Another highlight is the StageTalk@Prithvi session, hosted by Pragya Tiwari, featuring Jyoti Dogra, Arundathi Nag, and Abhishek Majumdar, who will discuss the evolving landscape of contemporary theatre.
The festival will also host a series of workshops led by leading industry professionals, designed to nurture ongoing learning and artistic practice. Among them is a special voice and speech workshop by Shernaz Patel, promising valuable insights for both aspiring and seasoned performers.
(Pic of Kunal Kapoor, his son Zahan and daughter Shaira - credit Raj Lalwani)
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