Theatre as protest, poetry & power

N an age where stories are scrolled through in seconds, where emotions are conveyed with emojis, and applause is measured in likes, something unique unfolded at Ravindra Bharathi.

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Children, usually glued to reels and cartoons, sat wide-eyed as the beats of the Oggu Katha echoed through the auditorium. It marked the beginning of DORA, a folk-infused retelling of Don Quixote, and with it, the opening of "XPRESSION 2025 (Season 3)", a three-day multilingual national theatre festival.

Organised by Shudrka Hyderabad Shilpitirtha Trust in association with the Department of Language and Culture, Government of Telangana, the festival brought together theatre groups from across India. Showcasing performances in multiple languages and styles, alongside seminars and workshops, the event celebrated the diversity and depth of Indian theatre. This year's edition paid special tribute to three cultural icons on their birth centenaries — dramatist Badal Sircar, filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak, and music composer Salil Chowdhury.

The festival opened with DORA, a Telugu adaptation of Cervantes' Don Quixote by Shudrka Hyderabad. Blending the classic tale with Oggu Katha, a traditional folk art form of Telangana, the play was a spirited mix of rhythm, storytelling, and humour. What made it even more special was its dedication to homebound and underprivileged children, giving many of them their first experience with the magic of live theatre.