Do not forget that stories were once a medium of news,” shares Rama Pandey on the phone. The theatre maker should know. She was a BBC Hindi correspondent in London, for Voice of America, Aakashwani and Doordarshan, before turning to documentary filmmaking and theatre. Yet, her love for freedom is evident in the conversation about her production, Sultana that will open on the Mumbai stage this weekend.

The play is part of ‘Natya Series’, a series of theatrical works hosted by INTACH Greater Mumbai Chapter along with Prime Securities, Azad Foundation, Sakha, Ratnav, and Sideways. “Natya, i.e. drama, is a key part of the heritage of Indian performing arts. This is the second edition of our series,” explains Katyayani Agarwal, co-convenor of INTACH’s Mumbai chapter. The previous edition saw the Rama Theatre Natya Vidya (RATNAV) group stage the production, Lallan Miss — a powerful performance that tackled the stigmas and questions faced by the transgender community.

A moment from the play, Sultana. Pics Courtesy/Ratnav