India’s Prithvi Theatre to revisit the classics for Dubai audience

Veteran Indian actors Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar among stars performing at Prithvi@Dubai theatre festival in Dubai

Indian actors Ratna Pathak Shah and Naseeruddin Shah. Courtesy Prithvi Theatre

The cream of Indian theatre and cinema is coming to Dubai for a unique drama festival hosted by one of the subcontinent’s biggest stage-production houses – Prithvi Theatre.

The Mumbai-based company – founded by theatre and Bollywood pioneer Prithviraj Kapoor in 1944 and relaunched by his sons in 1978 – will showcase a selection of plays that have stood the test of time.

Prithvi@Dubai – which runs from April 27 until May 1 at Ductac, Mall of the Emirates – kicks off with veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah and his wife, Bollywood actress Ratna Pathak Shah, starring in Dear Liar. Written by 19th-century Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, the play dramatises the writer's romance, as revealed in love letters written over the course of 40 years.

On April 28, critically acclaimed actress Sonali Kulkarni, accompanied by Milind Pathak, will perform While Lily and Knight Rider, a black comedy that explores the evolving relationship between couples in urban India.

Nothing Like Lear, a spoof of Shakespeare's King Lear, will be staged on April 29. Director by actor and theatre director Rajat Kapur, the 80-minute play will feature Bollywood actor Vinay Pathak in a variety of roles – from clown to father.

Also on the programme is The Glass Menagerie, with Prithvi Theatre stalwarts Shernaz Patel and Jim Shurab taking on the lead roles in this modern-day adaptation of the classic Tennessee Williams tragedy.

The festival ends on May 1 with a play based on Indian social activist and poet Shaukat Azmi's memoirs Kaifi Aur Main, presented by Indian National Award-winning theatre veteran Shabana Azmi and lyricist Javed Akhtar – a recipient of the Padma Bhushan – India's third-highest civilian honour. The poet's words will be set to the violin and tabla.

• April 28 to May 1 at Ductac – Mall of the Emirates, Dubai. Tickets for each show start from Dh125 at www.ductac.org. Sessions with the actors and directors will be held after each performance