Sawal – Jawab

Marathi Musical Play

An NCPA Presentation in collaboration with Avkash

Sawal–Jawab (which literally means Question–Answer) is a musical play rooted in Maharashtra’s folk performance

traditions — Tamasha, Lavani, Powada, Shahiri, Gavalan and Sawal-Jawab — reimagined for the contemporary stage.

It revolves around a dialogue between Kalawati Bai, a young, reformist folk artist, and a Personal Assistant to a Minister who visits her after her performance faces violent censorship. Through biting humour, music, and poetry, the play explores questions of free speech, censorship, misinformation, gender equality, and the purpose of art in modern India.

Each ‘Jawab’ from Kalawati unfolds not as a speech but as a live folk musical performance, making the piece both an engaging spectacle and a deeply thought-provoking conversation.

Written and directed by Girish Datar, Apurva Kulkarni
Cast: Sukanya Gurav, Sanket Joshi
Percussionist: Samadhan Ranshoor
Harmonium: Saee Joshi
Singers: Abhishek Shinde, Girish Datar
Light Design: Sanket Parkhe
Light Operators: Nimish Kanitkar
Sound Operator: Anurag Girdhar
Backstage: Niketan Nandurbare, Anant Satalkar
Special Thanks for the support and initial production: Maharashtra Cultural Center Pune, Ashok Da Ranade Archives (ADRA)

Box Office now open.