Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi among others to highlight Delhi Theatre Festival

Veteran theatre and film actors Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Pankaj Kapur, and Ratna Pathak Shah will highlight the 4th edition of Delhi Theatre Festival from August 4.

Returning after a hiatus of three years, the theatre extravaganza, organised by Alchemist Live, will see some of the most eminent luminaries of the stage performing at Siri Fort Auditorium, Kamani Auditorium and OP Jindal Auditorium in New Delhi, and the Orana Conventions in Gurugram.

Over the course of three days, theatre aficionados will get to attend a line-up of seven homegrown plays performed by theatre legends such as Lillete Dubey, Shekhar Suman, Piyush Mishra, Vinay Pathak, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi and Kanwaljit Singh.

"We are very proud to have established a platform where theatre will thrive and envision the annual 'Delhi Theatre Festival' to be the breeding ground for theatre in India. As we embark on a brand-new season, we plan to enthral our audience with iconic acts. Their presence is certain to elevate the theatrical offerings to unprecedented heights, ensuring an unforgettable experience for all attendees," said Prabhu Tony, coo and co-founder, Alchemist Live, in a statement. The festival will open with "Ismat Apa Ke Naam", featuring Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, and Heeba Shah, at Siri Fort on August 4-5. The play will also be staged at Orana Conventions on August 6.

Directed by Naseeruddin Shah, the play brings to life stories of Ismat Chughtai in three acts: 'Gharwali,' 'Mughal Bachcha,' and 'Chhui Muee.' "Dopehri", a solo play by Pankaj Kapur, will take the audience to the streets of Lucknow and into the world of Amma Bi, an elderly woman on a transformative journey, transporting them through the emotions, solitude, and self-discovery of a 65-year-old woman residing in a magnificent haveli.

The play will be staged at Siri Fort on August 6.

Lillete Dubey, Ira Dubey, and Joy Sengupta-starring "Vodka & No Tonic" will depict a collection of short stories penned by acclaimed writer Shobhaa De in "Lockdown Liaisons".

The play, exploring the fragility of human relationships during the extraordinary times of the pandemic, will be staged at OP Jindal Auditorium on August 6.

The life and writings of Urdu writer Saadat Hasan Manto will come alive in the post-partition backdrop in "Ek Haan" by Shekhar Suman and Suchitra Krishnamoorthi. The play will be staged at Kamani Auditorium on August 5.

Actor Vinay Pathak's famous depiction of King Lear in "Nothing Like Lear" will offer a fresh and contemporary take on Shakespeare's iconic tragedy at OP Jindal Auditorium on August 5.

Shabana Azmi, and Kanwaljit Singh will feature in "Kaifi Aur Main" to depict the love story of renowned poet Kaifi Azmi and his wife Shaukat Kaifi, accompanied by Jaswinder Singh and a live orchestra at Orana Conventions on August 4 and Siri Fort Auditorium at August 5.

Actor, singer and lyricist Piyush Mishra will perform with his band 'Ballimaaraan' at Orana Conventions on August 5 and Siri Fort Auditorium on August 6.