Posted on 8 June 2026:

Hriday Manch National Theatre Festival 2025–26: Tangled Threads of Humanity

The Hriday Manch National Theatre Festival 2025–26, held on June 2–3 at the Anuchintan Art Centre, Santoshpur, Kolkata, once again affirmed Kolkata’s place as a vibrant crucible of theatre and cultural dialogue. Since its inception in 2022, this flagship initiative of the Santoshpur Anuchintan Theatre Collective has grown into a luminous platform for performance arts and social commitment.

The festival opened with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by eminent dignitaries including Dr. Shubhashis Gangopadhyay, Pampa Banerjee, Abhijit Sengupta, Rama Das, Parag Maitra, and Jhuma Bhowmick. Conceived around the theme “Tangled Threads: Interwoven Stories, Shared Humanity”, Rahul Sardar’s vision was brought alive by a creative ensemble led by Nayan Sadhak, Meheli Das, Samar Mridha, Trisha Das, Partha Paik, Ranjeeta Roy and Somnath Naskar.

The inaugural day unfolded with Rabindra Sangeet by Udvaas, dance presentations by artists and underprivileged children from Mrittika, and the felicitation of theatre stalwart Uma Jhunjhunwala.

Prestigious honors were conferred:

Dr. Shubhashis Gangopadhyay received the Usha Ganguli Memorial Award for Excellence in Theatre and Performing Arts.
Pampa Banerjee was honoured with the Renuka Das Memorial Award for Social Commitment.
Sashanko Mondal received the Anuchintan Excellence in Theatre Arts Award (Technical/Backstage).
Rupjyoti Mahanta was bestowed the Azhar Alam Memorial Award for Promising Young Theatre Directors.

The evening culminated in Engar, a powerful production by Murchana Kala Kendra, Assam, directed by Asim Kumar Nath and written by Rupjyoti Mahanta, exploring the conflicts between traditional art forms and artificial intelligence.

Festival Day Two: Dance, Dialogue and Drama

Day two of the Hriday Manch National Theatre Festival 2025–26 unfolded with a gentle cadence of music and dance by emerging artists, setting the stage for deeper reflection. The highlight was an engaging lecture‑demonstration on “Dance and Tagore” by eminent scholar Prof. (Dr.) Mahua Mukhopadhyay, whose insights bridged philosophy and performance with rare elegance.

The evening drew to a poignant close with Patthar, presented by Little Thespian, Kolkata. Written by Ismail Choonara, translated by Uma Jhunjhunwala, and directed by Dr. Gaurav Das, the two‑character narrative explored isolation, fear and human conflict. Its stark simplicity left audiences stirred, reminding them of theatre’s power to mirror the human condition.

In its resonance, the festival once again reaffirmed Santoshpur Anuchintan’s unwavering commitment to nurturing theatre, fostering cultural dialogue, and weaving meaningful connections between artists and audiences across the country.

In its fourth edition, Hriday Manch has become more than a festival—it is a living dialogue between culture, community and conscience, where tangled threads of humanity are woven into stories that endure.