Aadyam Theatre, the theatre initiative by the Aditya Birla Group, has announced the return of its eighth season, opening in Delhi with Ankahi, a supernatural thriller. The new production will be staged at Kamani Auditorium on 28 and 29 March 2026.
Marking a first for the initiative, Ankahi explores the supernatural thriller genre, a departure from previous seasons. The Hindi adaptation of The Woman in Black by Susan Hill was originally adapted for the stage by Stephen Mallatratt and became one of the longest-running productions in London’s West End.
Directed by Vikranth Pawar, Ankahi tells the story of Sandeepan Chauhan, a middle-aged lawyer burdened by a haunting secret from his past. Unable to articulate his experience, he enlists a young, sceptical actor to stage his terrifying encounter. As the narrative unfolds, a routine legal assignment involving the estate of a deceased woman, Fatima Ilyas, descends into a nightmare. The play explores themes of truth and grief, questioning whether confronting one’s darkest truths leads to redemption or deeper darkness.
The cast features Rohit Chaudhary as the young actor and Gopal Datt as Sandeepan Chauhan. Pawar, who previously directed Beauty and the Beast, bringing the Disney Broadway-style musical to Indian audiences, helms the psychological thriller.
Vikranth Pawar, Director of Ankahi, said, “Ankahi – The untold story of The Woman in Black is 90 minutes of pure drama and thrill on stage. This genre of supernatural thriller is a whole different experience in the live medium of theatre. The scares are that much more real; the spook is that much more eerie and the drama is that much more tense. The play is truly what theatre has to offer in its raw and unbound form where the Ankahi story of The Woman in Black doesn’t just unfold on stage, it does even in your imagination.”
For the eighth season, Artistic Directors Nadir Khan and Akarsh Khurana were joined by Shernaz Patel and Ipshita Singh Chakraborty as part of the curation panel.
Nadir Khan said, “I’m very pleased to extend my association as Artistic Director for another season of Aadyam Theatre. Aadyam continues to be an extremely valuable part of our theatrical landscape and the continued commitment and support by Mr. Birla and the Aditya Birla Group to facilitate this wonderful opportunity for theatre practitioners and audiences alike, cannot be underestimated.
The programming for the new season was conducted by a curation panel and received over 50 proposals from across the country, in a very short period of time. We are consistently encouraged by the theatre community’s enthusiasm and support for this very important initiative.
Our first production is a supernatural thriller directed by Vikranth Pawar – Ankahi. With Vikranth’s experience of creating large scale and immersive productions, this promises to be a very exciting and innovative start to this season of Aadyam Theatre.”
Akarsh Khurana added, “I’ve been involved with Aadyam since the beginning in some capacity or the other. I have written, directed, and produced plays across seven seasons. I’ve also been an audience member, lighting operator, and podcast host, on occasion. This is the first time on the other side, where I get to be involved more intrinsically – selecting the plays, guiding the theatre makers and facilitating all the exciting off stage initiatives. Aadyam has been a wonderfully encouraging platform for Indian theatre, and it is quite a privilege to be able to represent it. We’re starting the latest iteration with a new genre. Ankahi, an Indian adaptation of the frightening classic The Woman in Black, is a psychological thriller with supernatural overtones, which promises to be an eerily immersive experience. And we can’t wait to see how audiences react to it.”
Over the past decade, Aadyam Theatre has built a reputation for championing innovation, reimagining contemporary texts and supporting emerging voices in Indian theatre. Last season recorded a footfall of more than 25,000 attendees. The platform has featured creative direction from theatre practitioners such as Sunil Shanbag, Atul Kumar, Purva Naresh and Nadir Khan, with performances by actors including Kumud Mishra, Akash Khurana and Girija Oak Godbole.
Tickets for Ankahi are available on BookMyShow.
