36th National Street Theatre Day: A Spirited Ode To The Fearless Safdar Hashmi

“I would say that if people are not coming to the theatre, the theatre must go to the people.”

— Safdar Hashmi in Theatre and the People (1985).

Many commons around Delhi and across the country, which could earlier hold both laughter and anger in equal measure, have slowly become inaccessible or excessively surveilled under each successive government. Moreover, with the rise in Bharatiya Janata Party’s hegemonical stronghold across all spheres of politics and life, the intensity of such suppression has only become more blatant and visible, what with any kinds of protests, discussions, even performances that dare to question (not even protest) relegated to pockets of the city that sit shy of its citizens, cocooned in a corner such that its usage disrupts nothing, disturbs no one. Perhaps, such agitations then seemingly defeat the purpose of a protest. Yes, they do. Even so, their existence affirms the indulgent belief that a country continues to remain democratic and its citizens continue to remain cognisant.

It is in honour of this indulgent hope that the 38th National Street Theatre Day was celebrated on April 12, 2026 at 36 Pandit Ravishankar Shukla Lane, home to Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (SAHMAT), with six street plays that addressed a wide range of issues such as the state of healthcare in the country, patriarchal threads in pop culture and the impact of patriarchy beyond overt dominance, forced marriages and marital rape, the state of journalism today and the issue of excessive surveillance. Housed within a compound that sits in a high-brow neighbourhood of the city and attended by individuals that already lean to the left and affirm their understanding of the dire state of events in the country, the participants of the plays were safe to register their art as protest, unlike the martyred playwright whose birth anniversary marks this important day.

April 12 is annually observed as National Street Theatre Day. It marks the birth anniversary of the late Safdar Hashmi, a political activist, actor, playwright and poet. Hashmi was fatally attacked in broad daylight on January 1, 1989, while performing the street play Halla Bol with his theater group Jan Natya Manch (JANAM) in Sahibabad, a working-class area just outside Delhi. Hashmi’s funeral was attended by more than 15,000 people. As it is with collectivist ideas, Hashmi’s death did not lead to an end to the ethos preached and practised by Hashmi. Instead, these ideas, shared also by his friends, supporters and comrades, continue on through acts of art, protest and existence. In the aftermath of Hashmi’s death, JANAM returned to the same spot after three days to perform Halla Bol, as an act of reclaiming space. The lead role was portrayed by his wife and fellow theatre artist Moloyashree Hashmi.

Safdar Hashmi was one of the founding members of JANAM, which was set up in 1973 and grew out of Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA), of which he was a part. JANAM emerged as a street theatre troupe performing plays that were representative of the struggles faced by industrial workers, women and other marginalised people. The group also played a key role in the creation of an all-India street theatre movement.

Most plays for JANAM were written, directed and performed by Hashmi. These plays were performed outdoors, in public places, mostly amidst a working-class population, attended by thousands of workers, reflecting and affirming their experiences and issues and making theatre accessible to audiences beyond traditional venues. Still standing today as a symbol of people’s resistance and cultural activism, JANAM, along with SAHMAT, nurtures politically and culturally conscious artists and performances and continues to keep alive the anti-imperialist, secular and egalitarian values that Hashmi preached, followed and died for.

Hashmi made plays that combined political messaging with elements of traditional Indian performance. The plays were designed to work with minimal props and sets, making it easy to be staged anywhere and everywhere. Some of his plays are Machine, Aurat, Gaon Se Shahar Tak, Raja Ka Baja, Hatyare and Kursi, Kursi, Kursi. Through these, Hashmi addressed factory workers’ struggles for fair wage and basic amenities, established dissent against the 1984 Emergency and acknowledged and represented the feminist upsurge of the late 1970s and early 1980s, among other issues.

To mark the 36th National Street Theatre Day and honour the ideas that informed Hashmi’s life and death, participants from various Delhi-based colleges poetically brought to the fore pertinent socio-political issues that pervade our lives. The event was moderated by Hashmi’s brother and oral historian Sohail Hashmi and his close friend and theatre actor and director M K Raina. Raina preambled the event by elaborating upon the importance of hosting the festival amidst a state of surveillance and crackdowns in institutional spaces within the country.

The plays showcased during the festival include Paradose by Aman Theatre Society, Profanity Allowed Hai? by Aflatoon VIPS, Rang Daarungi by Anukriti, Saajhi Re Chadariya by Jan Natya Manch (JANAM), Dhundhla Jaal by TRYAMBAKAM and Nazarband by Ankur.

Paradose by Aman Theatre Society of Zakir Hussain Delhi College narrated anecdotal instances delineating the ambiguity of policies and processes within the healthcare system. With periodically placed songs keeping the audience engaged and amused, the group, comprising 20 members, carried the story forward to highlight the lack of transparency during medical communication,  the power imbalance between doctors and patients, regular neglect, over-prescription, unnecessary tests and the needless push to use branded medicines, although cheaper alternatives exist. The aim of this engaging play was to highlight the precarious situations that people from marginalised communities often end up in, due to a lack of information and awareness regarding patient rights and informed consent, and consequently, less confidence when asking for transparency in medical treatment. Amongst the participants in this play were Anushka Dutta, Gaurav Tiwari, Aastha Ray, Kunal Kumar, Nishant Jeenwal, Prachi Ghosh, Mayank Shukla, Bhawana Jain, Geetika Kurmi, Haritima Lal, Janaya Sachdeva, Prithvi Verma, Rajsri Dawka, Riya Rawat, Shivam Choudhary, Udita Bisht, Yashica Nautiyal, Mayank Bachani, Anshika Goel and Ayana Saifi.

The second performance of the evening, Profanity Allowed Hai? by Aflatoon VIPS, from Vivekananda School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies (VIPS), comprised a satirical musical performance interrupted by bouts of serious episodes depicting the impact of patriarchy in everyday life. From representation in pop culture, casual sexism and unequal domestic labour to domestic violence, marital rape and even the usage of feminised expletives, the play covered vast ground in little time, all the while keeping the audience attentive with jingles, songs and satirical lyrics. In pointing out some very obvious examples of misogynistic writing within Bollywood, the group succeeded in drawing attention to everyday comments that normalise gender inequality and consequently lead to gendered violence at various levels. The 25 participants within this group included Om Mishra , Jagshaan Singh, Aakarshan Sharma, Saloni Taneja, Kirti Sharma, Sanchi Malhotra, Divya, Manasvi Rana, Siddhant Pokharia, Radha Kumari, Abhishek Narang, Shreshtha Rai, Girisha Saini, Ujjawal, Tanushka, Shaurya Sachdeva, Riddhi Mishra, Aanya, Upasana, Vansh Girotra, Himanshu Upadhyay, Kushagra Kashyap, Devansh Bhagwat, Anshika Barodiya, Satyam Chatterjee, Pawni, Akanksha, Sadhirth, Avya Gupta and Pavitr Tomar.

From The Hindi Dramatics Society of Miranda House’s Anukriti came Rang Daarungi, a play highlighting how the institution of marriage—portrayed as a protective sphere and system across time, societies and religions—often transforms into a space where harm can easily be caused and silence can just as easily be sustained. This play on marital rape and other kinds of violence that exist within domestic spaces, confronts the silence that exists on this issue, not just within our society but in legal frameworks as well. With statistics and statements from judges to back up such anecdotes, the play highlighted the need to address gender inequality during current times, whilst silently reinforcing the importance of dignity and care within marriages. Participants included Aanya, Silvia, Anamika, Kaashvi, Samyra, Gayatri, Swati, Kamya, Nancy, Pranjal, Nisha, Chahak, Mahi, Adhishree, Bhumika, Dhanvi, Pooja, Progya, Raina, Ridhima, Sakshi, Anuradha, Mahim and Divva.

Interrupting this tirade of plays highlighting social issues was Jan Natya Manch (JANAM) with Saajhi Re Chadariya. Portrayed by veteran artists Priyanka, Nikhil, Komita, Purbasha, Vijay, Soman, Abeer, Shankaj and Brijesh, the play focused on the theme of friendship across time and between people who may have every reason to hate or abandon the other, but still choose to maintain and nurture these friendships. With three stories of friendships portrayed in the play, the group highlighted how it is the differences between us—our food, language, culture, religion and individual situations—that add flavour and colour to life and come together as threads to weave vibrant chaadars. Set respectively against the contemporary scene of the COVID-19 pandemic and 16th-century India, the play highlights friendships between individuals that come from disparate caste, class and religious backgrounds and often brave the storms of life for each other. Keeping in line with the overarching theme of hope, Hashmi’s erstwhile theatre troupe—still alive and thriving—delivered a quietly pulsating reality amidst us and with it, a dream for a syncretic future.

From The Theatre and Film Society of Rajdhani College’s TRYAMBAKAM came Dhundhla Jaal—a commentary on the state of journalism during current times. Perhaps the most chaotic play of the lot, Dhundhla Jaal was emblematic of the frenzy and short shelf-lives of news cycles these days. The dialogues spoken by the group were evocative of mumblecore deliveries reflecting normal day-to-day conversations, lending an element of realism to the performance. With deliveries that refused to stay on one topic, just like the distractive ways in which news often runs, to confound, the play, too, introduces a wide range of topics, framing the satire whilst also highlighting real headlines. With the inclusion of journalist Gauri Lankesh’s work, death and the afterlife of her work as well as the violence during Muzaffarnagar riots, Dhundhla Jaal portrays the human cost of messy, irresponsible journalism and how hate emanates from our screens to quickly fire up and damage the lives of common people. Participants included Sapna, Rani, Paras, Nikhil, Shivam, Arya, Piyush,

 Vicky, Arnav, Aviral, Kanishk, Tushika, Shreya, Vikas, Aditya, Angel, Vedansh, Piyush and Saurav.

The concluding performance for the evening, Nazarband by The Theatre Society SGTB Khalsa College’s Ankur, brought to the audience the issue of excessive surveillance that now pervades our lives. Sold to the common people as necessary steps to ensure citizenship, ease of banking and other benefits, various organisations as well as the government often breach into this data to peer into and exploit user sentiments, or sometimes utilise this information as a means for coercion. Citing various examples of privacy breach via theatrical deliveries that were entertaining as well as informative, the play highlighted how surveillance can lead to a state of intellectual paralysis and self-censorship. Amongst its participants were Anjali Shah, Anurag Negi, Arun Singh, Diksha Shandilya, Abhijay Negi, Dev Sharma, Manmeet Khalsa, Nandini Sharma, Aaron Taneja, Archana Singh, Piyush Sanyal, Rift Hasim Afrida and Sneha Jha.

Against the promulgation of high-octane films designed to induce false pride or elicit reaction, and with little heed paid to real everyday issues concerning the common people of the country, it has become almost imperative to disengage and decentre such cinema in favour of artistic work that can keep alive the collective conscience of this country. Perhaps, this means stepping out and away from our streaming platforms to sit and watch street plays and independent films or participate in discussions where the desire to read, understand and organise for the public good still sustains.