Isheeta Ganguly’s play, ‘Shakuntala Awaits’ is all set to be recreated as an Off-Broadway musical in New York City from January 17. The feat also makes Isheeta the first India-based writer-director to have her NCPA-production going Off-Broadway.
For the world premiere of the Off-Broadway musical at Here Theatre, Isheeta will be showcasing Tik-Tok sensation and actors Vick Krishna and Piyali Syam for the one-hour 15-minute play.
An Indian American, Isheeta was born in Kolkata but moved to the US with her parents when she was less than a year old. “It’s incredibly inspiring to see more India-based content both from India and the diaspora going Off-Broadway. And it’s a great honor to bring forward stories of India’s rich heritage,” said a delighted Isheeta.
‘Shakuntala Awaits’ tackles the different aspects of this urban reality through a plot loosely based on the story of The Mahabharata’s Shakuntala. “I wanted to bring Shakuntala into 2020,” says Isheeta adding the play was conceptualized before the pandemic.
The story follows professor Samrat Chakrabarty from Harvard reaching Mumbai for a conference, where he meets Purva Bedi, a doctor, at a book store. There sparks a conversation and evident chemistry between the two which results in a romantic evening. The narrative takes on a different course when the protagonist realizes that she is pregnant.
“New York City is the most diverse theatre capital of the world, which draws an interesting and thoughtful global audience. It’s also my hometown, so it’s very special to showcase this work to what I believe is one of the most culturally nuanced audiences in the world,” Isheeta said.
