BRICS Theatre Festival Opens in Delhi with ‘Samudra Manthan’

The three-day BRICS Theatre Festival 2026 opened at the National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi on October 12, bringing together theatre practitioners, scholars, students and cultural representatives from nine member and partner countries.

Organised by the Union Ministry of Culture under India’s BRICS Presidency, the festival provides a platform for artistic collaboration, cultural exchange and people-to-people connections through theatre.

The participating countries are India, Thailand, Indonesia, Russia, Iran, Vietnam, South Africa, Kazakhstan and Ethiopia. The programme features a diverse range of classical, contemporary and experimental theatre productions reflecting the participants’ languages, cultural traditions and creative perspectives.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who was the chief guest, along with Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary (Economic Relations) Sudhakar Dalela, who served as India’s BRICS Sherpa for 2026, and National School of Drama Director Chittaranjan Tripathy. Ambassadors and heads of missions from participating countries were also present.

The festival opened with ‘Samudra Manthan’, written by Asif Ali, with design, direction and music by NSD Director Chittaranjan Tripathy. The play was staged at the Abhimanch Auditorium on the NSD premises.

Addressing the gathering, Shekhawat highlighted the importance of cultural understanding in strengthening international relations. He said that while diplomacy enables nations to negotiate and economic cooperation supports prosperity, culture helps societies understand one another despite differences in language, history and traditions.

India will present two theatre productions, while Russia will be represented by two theatre groups. The festival also seeks to encourage professional interaction and exchange of artistic ideas among theatre practitioners from participating countries.

Performances will be held at several venues across New Delhi, including the NSD’s Abhimanch and Sammukh auditoriums, Kamani Auditorium, LTG Auditorium and Meghdoot Theatre. Tickets are priced at Rs 200 per performance and can be purchased through BookMyShow.

The National School of Drama, an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture, is the nodal agency for the festival. The event aims to strengthen cultural ties and promote mutual understanding among BRICS countries and their partners through the shared language of theatre.