Jan 02 2026 to Jan 02 2026 7:30 p.m.

Where

Ranga Shankara

36/2, 8th Cross Rd, R K Colony, 2nd Phase, J. P. Nagar 560078

Event Description

Ranga Shankara presents Barbaad, a powerful and deeply unsettling play by Delhi-based Ruchika Theatre Group, directed by veteran theatre director Feisal Alkazi. The play will be staged on 2 January at 7:30 pm.
Barbaad is the Hindi adaptation of Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Lynn Nottage’s Ruined, a work that explores the devastating human cost of conflict, particularly on women caught in its crossfire. Though originally set in the Congo, the play’s realities—violence, displacement, exploitation and survival resonate uncomfortably close to home.
Reflecting on the journey of the production, director Feisal Alkazi shares that he was struck by how “Indian” the play felt when he first read it over a decade ago. The characters, the fragility of lives lived on the edge, and the brutal ecosystems created by man-made conflicts demanded a translation and adaptation. With Nottage’s consent, Alkazi and writer Sushant Agarwal worked for over a year to find the right voice for Barbaad.
The play was originally scheduled to premiere in April 2020, after months of intensive rehearsals involving movement, dance, and the mastering of dialects but the pandemic brought everything to a halt even before opening night. When theatres reopened, the moment did not feel right. Now, in 2025, Barbaad returns its themes more urgent than ever.
Set against the backdrop of violent conflict over environmental and economic resources, Barbaad examines how war zones attract not just arms dealers and profiteers, but also human traffickers, and men seeking “rest and recreation”. Where these worlds collide, the play unfolds a harrowing portrait of survival, complicity and moral collapse.
Directed with restraint and empathy, Barbaad is not merely a story of devastation, but a reflection on how systems of power operate across geographies and how easily societies learn to look away.
About the Director
Educationist, social activist, author, master trainer and theatre director Feisal Alkazi lives and works in New Delhi. Over a career spanning more than 52 years, he has directed over 300 plays, carving a distinctive place in Indian theatre primarily through his work with Ruchika Theatre Group.
Alkazi has worked extensively in children’s theatre, directing over 200 children’s plays across cities including Delhi, Jaipur, Chennai, Chandigarh and Gwalior. His book Rang Biranga Rangmanch, published by the National Book Trust, has sold over 30,000 copies. For television, he has directed two serials and 32 documentaries and short films, and received the Sanskriti Award for Outstanding Contribution to Theatre in 1987.
He is also the founder of Ankur, Society for Alternative in Education, which he headed for ten years, and continues to work widely as a master trainer using theatre-based practices.
About Ruchika Theatre Group
Founded in 1972, Ruchika Theatre Group is one of Delhi’s leading theatre collectives, consistently presenting at least three new productions every year. The group is known for staging plays of strong social relevance in English, Hindi and Urdu.
Its repertoire includes works by Strindberg, Dario Fo, Marsha Norman, Mahasweta Devi, Mohan Rakesh, Vijay Dan Detha, Mahesh Elkunchwar and Jaywant Dalvi, among many others. Ruchika has performed at major festivals such as Bharat Rang Mahotsav, and across cities in India and internationally, including Kathmandu and Hong Kong.
Several members of the group have gone on to become prominent names in theatre, film and television, including Alok Nath, Neena Gupta, Pawan Malhotra, Sohaila Kapur and Harsh Chhaya.
With Barbaad, Ruchika brings to Bengaluru a work that is uncompromising, relevant and deeply reflective of our times.
Show Details:
Barbaad
Venue: Ranga Shankara, Bengaluru
Date: 2 January
Time: 7:30 pm