The prestigious Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival, Telangana's flagship cultural event, is set to mark its 20th edition this November with a unique and exciting theme: Stalwarts to Next-Gen.
Spread across three weekends, the milestone festival in Hyderabad will feature a spectacular cross-generational lineup, sharing the stage between legendary veterans and promising new talent, including the scions of Bollywood royalty.
The highly anticipated 20th-anniversary celebration is moving beyond its traditional showcase of global theatre titans to nurture the future of the performing arts.
On one end of the spectrum, the stage will be graced by established icons such as Mohan Agashe, Anupam Kher, Sharmila Tagore, and writer Shobha De, alongside accomplished veterans like Mahesh Elkunchwar and Lilette Dubey.
Crucially, this edition pivots to introduce the new guard of Indian theatre. Making their festival debut are Junaid Khan (son of Aamir Khan) and Zahan Kapur (grandson of Shashi Kapoor), alongside emerging artists like Anirudh Sarkar (protege of the late Usha Ganguly) and Faizeh Jalali.
The festival's global footprint is maintained with an international presence, featuring a group from Norway, Karen Houge.
The festival's Curator and Designer, Padmashri Mohammad Ali Baig, a celebrated actor and director, views the generational shift as a fitting tribute to his father, the theatre legend Qadir Ali Baig.
"For 20 years unhindered, we presented a huge body of work of the who's who of world theatre," said Mohammad Ali Baig.
"This year, we move to the next generation that will take this performing art ahead. It shall be an ideal tribute to theatre legend Qadir Ali Baig sahib, who envisioned Hyderabad as a theatre-vibrant city back in the 1970s."
The festival holds the distinction of being the only cultural festival globally that continued to stage live performances during the two years of the COVID-19 lockdown, a testament to its enduring commitment to the arts.
The 2025 edition promises a diverse program spanning musicals, satires, parodies, street theatre, war stories, and adaptations of classics from Sartre and Don Quixote.
Beyond the performances, the festival includes:
Master Classes: Sessions on Playwriting by Mahesh Elkunchwar, Costume design by Dolly Ahluwalia, and Children's Theatre by Mohan Agashe.
Film Screenings: Including 'Out House', 'Tanvi the Great', and B. Narsing Rao's 'Matti Manushulu'.
Maintaining its unique charm, the festival will stage its performances in iconic, historic venues across the city, including the majestic Taramati Baradari and the State Art Gallery. The event is being held in association with the Telangana Tourism, Government of Telangana.
As noted by theatre and cinema thespian Sai Paranjpye, the festival truly is a "living museum of theatre in the country, it's the Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival."
Actor Pankaj Kapur said, "It is a matter of great pride for me to get an opportunity in the prestigious Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival."
"Late Qadir Ali Baig Sahib saw a dream and worked passionately to turn his dream into reality. The result of his hard work is the outstanding Theatre Festival named after him. We are honoured to be a part of this," said Ila Arun, Actress - Singer
This is what veteran actress Sharmila Tagore has said, "I am delighted that the prestigious 'Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival' is opening with a film that I have headlined. Let me congratulate the Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival on completing 20 years of glorious theatre from all around the world. It's a son's tribute to his legendary father, and I commend Padmasri Mohammad Ali Baig for his inspiring effort. As we all know, it is not easy to carry on a legacy for so long, keeping it alive."
