Bengali play 'Nihsango Ishwar' emerges as top winner at META 2025
Bengali play 'Nihsango Ishwar' emerges as top winner at META 2025
New Delhi, Bengali play "Nihsango Ishwar" dominated the 20th Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards , scooping five awards across 13 categories, including best original script, best stage design and best actor in a lead role to the multi-talented Suman Saha.
The event, instituted by Mahindra Group and curated by Teamwork Arts, concluded with an award ceremony on Thursday following a week-long theatre extravaganza that began on March 13.
The nearly one-and-a-half-hour play, directed by Saha himself, delves into the last day of Krishna’s life, set after the events of the Kurukshetra battle and Lord Balarama’s death.
It also clinched awards in two additional categories – best supporting role , awarded to Chandrani Sarkar, and best production.
Akshay Singh Thakur of "Swang: Jas ki Tas" bagged the best director accolade and clinched the award for best sound and music design. The Hindi and Bundeli musical drama, filled with humour, satire and social commentary, further won the best actor in a supporting role award, which went to Abhishek Gautam.
It also jointly won the best ensemble award with another multi-winner Hindi musical play "Chandaa Bedni". The one-hour-and-40-minute play won the best choreography , best light design and best actor in a lead role , awarded to Ranjini Ghosh.
The award for the best costume design was won by Rajeshwari Kodagu from Kannada play "Dashanana Swapnasiddhi".
For the latest edition, META nominated 10 plays from over 350 entries featuring a broad range of languages, including Bangla, English, Hindi, Bundeli, Malayalam, and Kannada.
"This year’s winners have showcased extraordinary creativity, passion, and storytelling, reaffirming the power of theatre to spark dialogue and inspire change. We congratulate 'Nihsango Ishwar', 'Swang: Jas ki Tas', 'Chandaa Bedni', 'Dashanan Swapnasiddhi' and all the exceptional artists who continue to push the boundaries of performance and stagecraft.
"It is an honour to support such incredible talent, and we look forward to witnessing the continued evolution of Indian theatre,” Jay Shah, vice-president, and head of cultural outreach at Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., said in a statement.
The other six nominated plays, including "Portal Waiting", "Bob Marley", "Mattiah 22:39" and "Jeevantey Maalakha", drew a blank at the award ceremony.
The winners were selected by a jury comprising veteran actor and theatre director Lillete Dubey, acclaimed filmmaker Sudhir Mishra, media personality Sunit Tandon, head of Theatre and Film at the National Centre for the Performing Arts Bruce Guthrie and celebrated puppeteer Dadi D Pudumjee.
The award ceremony also saw noted writer and translator Shanta Gokhale conferred with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to Indian theatre and literature.
Born on 14 August 1939 in Dahanu, Maharashtra, Gokhale has made an indelible mark on both Marathi and English literary landscapes. Her multifaceted contributions span novels, memoirs, critical essays, and editorial work, making her a towering figure in the world of Indian arts and culture.
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