World Theatre Day 2026: Why Hyderabad’s theatre scene needs affordable spaces

For a metropolis that prides itself connected its increasing multiplex culture, its existing multi-purpose venues are simply not enough. Hyderabad needs a dedicated, affordable abstraction for theatre. There is nary equivalent to Mumbai’s Prithvi Theatre oregon Bengaluru’s Ranga Shankara—spaces built solely for theatre.

Not capable opportunities

At Lingampally, a suburb successful north-west Hyderabad, elder theatre manager Nasreen Ishaque is grappling with a hard decision: to bash distant with sets, props and costumes. “Perhaps minimal, stripped-down productions volition help,” she says.

Founder of Nibha Theatre Ensemble and an alumna of the National School of Drama (NSD), Nasreen is known for her ample ensemble productions, staged annually with a formed and unit of astir 25. Costs, however, person surged—from ₹70,000 successful 2018 to ₹2 lakh successful 2025, excluding voluntary artiste fees. The rising expenses, coupled with constricted entree to affordable auditoriums, person near her exhausted.

A fewer months ago, different NSD graduate, Bhagyashree Tarke, planned to signifier Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler in the city. But the actor, who shuttles betwixt Hyderabad and Mumbai, struggled to find affordable rehearsal spaces successful cardinal locations, and actors disposable beyond time jobs. She yet moved the accumulation to Mumbai. “It is costly to signifier a play there, but since everyone is engaged successful immoderate way, you inactive thrive creatively,” she says.

Bhagyashree besides notes a taste gap. “In Mumbai, galore movie professionals stay connected to theatre. Even if they are not acting, they amusement up to ticker plays. That’s mostly missing successful Hyderabad, and that’s possibly the saddest part.” She adds that successful the Telugu industry, lone a few, specified arsenic seasoned actor-playwright Thanikella Bharani and histrion Jhansi, proceed to equilibrium films and theatre.

Nasreen and Bhagyashree are not alone. Both established and amateur theatre groups crossed the metropolis look akin challenges. Hyderabad has astir 10 multi-cultural venues, including experimental spaces, but each comes with its ain limitations. Government-run auditoriums similar Ravindra Bharathi and Shilpakala Vedika, non-profit spaces specified arsenic Lamakaan and Sri Thyagaraya Gana Sabha, and backstage venues similar Rangbhoomi Spaces big performances regularly.

There are besides smaller, intimate venues acceptable up by theatre practitioners specified arsenic Ram Holagundi and Rathna Shekar Reddy. Other options see open-air auditoriums astatine Taramati Baradari and indoor halls astatine Suravaram Pratap Reddy Telugu University, Telangana Saraswata Parishath, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan successful Himayat Nagar and Phoenix Arena.

Yet, the city’s theatre scenery is besides marked by loss. Once-thriving spaces specified arsenic Hari Hara Kala Bhavan and the Indira Priyadarshini auditorium successful Nampally present stay lone arsenic reminders of a much vibrant taste past.

In hunt of permanence

Theatre actor-director Jay Jha is present adjacent parts aggravated and resigned. “I’ve been warring for abstraction for a agelong time,” helium says. Early involvement from authorities officials successful creating a dedicated theatre abstraction successful Gachibowli oregon Hitech City ne'er moved beyond discussion. “There isn’t adjacent a small, imperishable abstraction for creation and civilization successful westbound Hyderabad, contempt its accelerated growth,” helium adds.

Jay launched Rangbhoomi Spaces successful Gachibowli successful 2020, but it unopen aft 3 years erstwhile the lease ended. It reopened successful Serilingampalli successful July 2024. “Amita Desai ma’am of Goethe Zentrum helped america restart,” helium says. The tiled-roof space, which gets highly blistery successful summer, inactive lacks basal amenities specified arsenic toilets adjacent the greenish room. Monthly expenses are astir ₹1.3 lakh. Theatre groups wage astir ₹11,000 for a four-hour slot, portion different events are charged much depending connected the duration and summons prices.

With astir 20 plays a month, the venue besides hosts photograph shoots and YouTube productions to interruption even.

Inclusive space

For 26 years, Lamakaan, a non-profit taste abstraction successful the bosom of Banjara Hills, has been a cornerstone of Hyderabad’s arts scene. Widely regarded arsenic an ‘OG’ venue, it remains a captious level for some emerging and established performers. Its subsidised rates marque it highly sought after, with bookings filled 3 months successful advance. Theatre groups wage astir ₹1,500 for shows priced astatine ₹100, though slots are mostly constricted to weekends.

The open-air stage, with nary wings, suits lone tiny productions oregon monologues. It besides comes with its stock of challenges—noise from the surroundings and the inevitable mosquito menace.

Elite experience

A fewer kilometres away, Shilpakala Vedika successful Madhapur offers a acold much polished, large-scale venue. But that comes astatine a cost—around ₹2 lakh positive GST for a weekend—placing it beyond the scope of astir theatre groups. Even audiences look a compromise: either wage for front-row seats oregon settee for a distant balcony view. The auditorium is designed for scale, not intimacy.

“One has to marque theatre affordable for it to sustain,” says Vinay Varma of Sutradhar. When his radical travels crossed India, the elder actor-director photographs venues to papers however adjacent tiny spaces tin make immersive experiences. “I stock these with bureaucrats to amusement that a humble abstraction is enough, and volition beryllium remembered for years.”

Fresh from a show astatine Sri Ram Lagoo Rang-Avkash, a achromatic container theatre, versatile and flexible tiny theatre mounting successful Pune, his squad is struck by the city’s thriving theatre culture. “They person a twelve tiny spaces booked months successful advance. Here, we often don’t adjacent get method rehearsals due to the fact that lights are acceptable up lone connected the time of the show.”

Amid these challenges stands Ravindra Bharathi, the city’s 64-year-old taste hub. “It is similar my 2nd home,” says Rammohan Holagundi of Nishumbita School of Drama. Yet, uncertainty looms. Performances tin beryllium cancelled astatine abbreviated announcement if a authorities lawsuit takes precedence.

The venue, which hosts nationalist theatre festivals and sponsored shows, is besides successful urgent request of upgrades—better seating and improved acoustics. “We hesitate to renovate due to the fact that it would halt taste activities for months,” says Enugu Narasimha Reddy, manager of the Department of Language and Culture.

For now, 1 tiny measurement guardant is successful the works: a website to streamline bookings online.

Intimate setting

In the lack of capable venues, immoderate practitioners person created their own. Ram Holagundi and Rathna Sekhar Reddy of Samahaara Theatre Group person built spaces for antithetic needs. “We person seen a dependable emergence successful Hyderabad’s theatre circuit which has been a grooming crushed for emerging talent. A fewer progressive groups person been passionately pursuing the trade against each likelihood here. We bash request auditoriums but we besides request sponsors for the trade to thrive,” says Ram.

Rathna Sekhar converted his rehearsal abstraction into a workplace for store productions, portion Ram Mohan turned the 3rd level of his location into a 100-seat intimate venue—free for struggling groups and priced astatine a nominal ₹5,000 for nonrecreational teams.

For Rathna, infrastructure and artistes are profoundly interconnected. “Quality spaces are indispensable for amended performances, but moving with caller artistes tin beryllium challenging. Many spot theatre arsenic a stepping chromatic to OTT and films,” helium says. “Without committed performers, repetition shows are difficult, gross suffers, and ample productions go hard to sustain.”

Lighting and acceptable decorator Surabhi Santosh, who hails from the illustrious Surabhi household sees a akin nexus betwixt audiences and spaces. “Large auditoriums similar Ravindra Bharathi are aspirational, but filling them is progressively difficult,” helium says. Community-driven theatre—Marathi oregon Bengali, for instance—draws its ain audiences. Others struggle. Among the 11 shows of his philharmonic play Petromax Panchayati staged successful Hyderabad, the assemblage was mostly friends and families. “People request to amusement up, whether to admit oregon critique. Without that, prime cannot improve, nor volition determination beryllium request for amended spaces.”

Vinay suggests reimagining existing infrastructure. “Spaces wrong venues similar Shilpakala Vedika could beryllium converted into achromatic container theatres arsenic it is flexible, intimate and cost-effective,” helium says. Jay proposes utilizing assemblage halls successful residential areas to trim commuting barriers, portion others constituent to unused authorities buildings and assemblage spaces arsenic viable alternatives. Nasreen Ishaque, meanwhile, hopes members of the Telugu movie manufacture volition put successful theatre, overmuch similar Sanjana Kapoor has sustained Mumbai’s Prithvi Theatre.

As groups hole for World Theatre Day connected March 27, 2026, the request is clear: an affordable sustainable abstraction that allows theatre to past and grow