Play Akanundun wins hearts at International Theatre Festival

Idrees Bukhtiyar
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07 Feb 2026

Srinagar, Feb 06: The Kashmiri folk musical theatre production ‘Akanundun’ received an overwhelming response at Bharangam, the silver jubilee edition of the International Theatre Festival 2026. The play was performed on February 5 at National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi. It captivated a packed venue that included cultural stalwarts, theatre veterans, directors, playwrights, scholars, students of theatre, and a large general audience. The performance marked a historic and celebratory moment for Kashmiri theatre on a major national and international platform. From the opening moments, Akanundun held the audience in rapt attention. The auditorium resonated with repeated applause and standing ovations, as the jam-packed crowd responded to the production’s powerful musical storytelling, live performance energy, and emotional depth. The musical language rooted in Kashmiri folk traditions, Sufi poetry, and Reshi mysticism created an immersive theatrical experience that deeply moved audiences. The production was widely seen as a historic return of Kashmiri folk theatre, presenting the Bhand Pather form through a contemporary theatrical lens while remaining firmly anchored in tradition. Conceived as an experiment to bring Kashmir’s folk theatre into modern stage design and performance aesthetics, Akanundun demonstrated how indigenous forms can evolve without losing their essence. Its success at the festival affirmed the production as a hopeful model for the future of Kashmiri theatre. Akanundun was presented by Theatre for Kashmir (Peather Baraye Kasheer) in collaboration with the National Bhand Theatre. The production was adapted, designed, and directed by Arshad Mushtaq, with original music composed by Manzoor ul Haq. Performance guidance and support were by Shah-e-Jahan Ahmad Bhagat with the production brought to life by a dedicated ensemble of 35 actors and Sufi musicians, performing live on stage. The International Theatre Festival committee felicitated the artists and the director, acknowledging the production’s artistic excellence and its significant contribution to the preservation and renewal of indigenous theatre traditions. The play was particularly appreciated for introducing a strong ensemble of young Gen Z performers, trained in the Bhaand lineage, positioning tradition as a living, evolving practice rather than a static cultural artifact.