Veera Rani Abbakka: Queen of the Seas

Hindi play

An NCPA Presentation in collaboration with Ank Theatre Group

Stage 50 – the Dinesh Thakur legacy festival–50 years of Ank Theatre Group

As Ank Theatre Group celebrates the remarkable milestone of its Golden Jubilee, the Ank Swarn Jayanti Natya Mahotsav marks the beginning of a year-long celebration of five decades of artistic excellence, innovation and commitment to Indian theatre.The Mumbai edition of the festival, to be held across October and November 2026. This festival in Mumbai would be followed by the Dinesh Thakur legacy tour 2026-27- covering 5 cities with 8 plays and 15 shows to honor the past and light up the future with fifty years of stories and one timeless vision in memory, dedication and celebration

In the 1500s, Portuguese warships swarm the western coast of India, masking their economic greed under the guise of “protection.” While the rulers of Tulunadu look away and her own husband, King Lakshmappa of Mangalore, trades sovereignty for foreign favors, Queen Veera Abbakka of Ullala stands alone. Bound by a deathbed oath to avenge her mother’s humiliation at the hands of the colonizers, she sees the chilling truth: trade today means chains tomorrow.

Choosing her people over politics, Abbakka defies her nobles. She fortifies Ullal, builds a lethal navy, and aligns with the Zamorin of Calicut to smuggle spices to the Arabian countries, shattering the Portuguese monopoly. When the invaders seize her vessel, she answers with fire—storming and crushing the Mangalore Fort.

What follows is an epic war of wits and steel. Facing overwhelming cannon fire, the “Abhaya Rani” (Fearless Queen) weaponizes subterfuge, leading lethal guerrilla strikes that push the invaders back to Goa. Yet, her greatest threat lies not at sea, but at home, where a resentful husband and whispering traitors plot her downfall.

A century before the British East India Company would enslave the subcontinent; Rani Abbakka divined the colonial blueprint and became one of the vanguard heroes of Indian resistance. Imbued with the vibrant energy of Yakshagana—the traditional folk theatre of Karnataka that has kept her legend alive for generations—this play weaves oral history and dramatic performance into a thrilling saga of defiance.

Written, Designed & Directed by Priita Mathur Thakur
Dialogue Writing by Richa Sharad
Actors: Priita Mathur Thakur, Aman Gupta, Mukul Nag, Vivek Marwah, Prakash  Vaswani, Neeta Mohindra, Jayakara, Ravish Rathi, Supurna Malakar, Titiksha Taggar,   Kaustubh Sawant, Rohan Mehta, Nirali Kalani, Jawed Rehman, Krushan Doshi, Brandon Hill, Rafael, George, Gourrav Kumar, Brajeshwar, Akshay and Others
Set Design: Atul Tiwari
Costumes: Mala Dey
Soundscape: Aman Gupta
Battle Choreography: Brandon Hill
Management & Production: Priita Mathur Thakur

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