These questions take centre stage at the Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival (RSTF) 2026 , which runs from October 23 to 31 under the theme Belonging: Through Memory, Migration and Boundaries . What makes a place home? Is it the memories we carry, the people we find, or the freedom to belong without boundaries? Bringing together six productions in Hindi, Ladakhi, Haryanavi, Malayalam, Bengali and English, the festival has been curated by five young theatre practitioners from across the city. It explores how people negotiate identity, displacement and their relationship with home.
Festival schedule October 26 — On Language, Memory and Belonging — A screening of Jaya Cherian’s film Rhythm of Dammam
Utthana Barighat, who worked on the programme, says, “The theme ranges from the impact of climate change and political borders to the deeply personal experience of losing one’s memories. ‘Live theatre offers a sense of community that streaming cannot’ “Streaming movies at home is easy, but it is completely different from sitting in a crowded hall watching a play live,” says Vinay Shastry, another of the five curators. The festival’s six productions approach the theme through different experiences. We always wanted to highlight how broad the idea of belonging is. “On stage, actors are right there in front of you — sweating, laughing and pouring their hearts out in real time, and you feel every bit of that energy. He believes this shared experience is what sets theatre apart from digital entertainment, bringing strangers together through laughter, emotion and excitement. Beyond the performances, the festival features poetry readings, conversations on language and memory, letters from across the world, and interactive stations where visitors can share stories about home, food, migration and kindness.