Mahabharata - why not theatre

Homepage image by Peter Andrew Lusztyk. Design by Key Gordon. Image courtesy of the Shaw Festival.

The cast of Why Not Theatre’s Mahabharata (Shaw Festival, 2023). Photo by David Cooper.

Neil D'Souza as Vishnu, Anaka Maharaj-Sandhu as Arjuna in Mahabharata (Shaw Festival, 2023). Photo by David Cooper.

Navtej Sandhu as Karna and Ellora Patnaik as Kunti Mahabharata (Shaw Festival, 2023). Photo by David Cooper.

The cast of Why Not Theatre’s Mahabharata (Shaw Festival, 2023). Photo by David Cooper.

Jay Emmanuel as Lord Shiva in Mahabharata (Shaw Festival, 2023). Photo by David Cooper.

The cast of Why Not Theatre’s Mahabharata (Shaw Festival, 2023). Photo by David Cooper.

This once-in-a-generation theatrical experience includes two separate large scale theatrical presentations that are bridged by a community meal and storytelling session (Khana & Kahani). Throughout the experience, the production undergoes an evolution in storytelling, from the most ancient - a storyteller around a fire - to a contemporary and technologically-integrated spectacle.

Toronto, Canada

A Why Not Theatre Production
Presented by Canadian Stage with Why Not Theatre

APRIL 2025

8-20

Book Tickets to Mahabharata: Karma (Part 1) Book Tickets to Mahabharata: Dharma (Part 2)

Ottawa, Canada

A Why Not Theatre Production
Presented by the National Arts Centre

MAY 2025

13-24

Book Tickets to Mahabharata: Karma (Part 1) Book Tickets to Mahabharata: Dharma (Part 2)

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MAHABHARATA

Created and written by Ravi Jain and Miriam Fernandes, using poetry from Carole Satyamurti’s "Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling"
Directed by Ravi Jain
With associate director Miriam Fernandes
Original concept developed with Jenny Koons
A Why Not Theatre Production
Toronto run presented by Canadian Stage with Why Not Theatre
Ottawa run presented by the National Arts Centre
Originally commissioned and presented by the Shaw Festival
In association with Barbican, London

Mahabharata is a contemporary take on a Sanskrit epic that is more than four thousand years old and foundational to Indian culture. This gripping story of a family feud is an exploration of profound philosophical and spiritual ideas. Why Not Theatre’s large-scale retelling stars a cast entirely of performers from the South Asian diaspora and presents a complex hybrid of cultures, balancing East and West, traditional and contemporary. Mahabharata is a visually stunning spectacle presented in two parts that takes audiences on a journey through the past in order to write a thrilling new future. Scroll down to read full show descriptions.

Mahabharata made its World Premiere at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Canada, in March 2023, and toured to Barbican, London, in October 2023.

Pronounciation

Listen to Sharada K Eswar doing a reading of the Mahabharata title (pronounced “Ma-ha-BAR-ah-tha”).

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Plan Your Visit

The next performances of Mahabharata will take place at the Bluma Appel Theatre in Toronto, Canada, from April 8-20, 2025, and the Babs Asper Theatre in Ottawa from May 13-24, 2025.

Toronto (Canadian Stage)
April 8 — 20, 2025
Bluma Appel Theatre

Purchase Tickets to Karma (Part 1)

Purchase Tickets to Dharma (Part 2)

Ottawa (National Arts Centre)
May 13 — 24, 2025
Babs Asper Theatre

Purchase Tickets to Karma (Part 1) Purchase Tickets to Dharma (Part 2)

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2023 cast + creative

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barbican tour cast & creative

Creative

Ravi Jain, Director
Miriam Fernandes, Associate Director
Lorenzo Savoini, Set Designer
Gillian Gallow, Costume Designer
Kevin Lamotte, Lighting Designer
Mikael Kangas, Associate Lighting Designer
Hana S. Kim, Projection Designer
Ann Slote, Associate Projections Designer
John Gzowski and Suba Sankaran, Original Music and Sound Design
Hasheel Lodhia, Traditional Music Consultant
Brandy Leary, Choreographer, with contributions from Jay Emmanuel and Ellora Patnaik
Kathakali Choreography for Jay Emmanuel - Kalamandalam ThulasiKumar (choreography), Kalamandalam Adhityan (Chenda), Kalamandalam Roopesh (Maddalam), Kalamandalam Abhijit Pillai (Thalam).
Sharada K Eswar, Creative Associate, Khana & Kahani Storyteller
Michelle Yagi, Co-Lead Producer
Kevin Matthew Wong, Co-Lead Producer
Crystal Lee, Production Manager

Cast

Shawn Ahmed
Ajay Chhabra
Neil D'Souza
Jay Emmanuel
Miriam Fernandes
Varun Guru
Karthik Kadam
Darren Kuppan
Anaka Maharaj-Sandhu
Suma Nair
Goldy Notay
Ellora Patnaik
Meher Pavri
Sakuntala Ramanee
Ronica Sajnani
Ishan Sandhu
Navtej Sandhu
Munish Sharma
Sukania Venugopal

Musicians

John Gzowski - Conductor/Co-Composer/Co-Sound Designer/Guitar
Suba Sankaran - Band Leader/Co-Composer/Co-Sound Designer/Voice
Dylan Bell - Bass/Keyboard/Music Contributions
Gurtej Singh Hunjan - Percussion/Music Contributions
Hasheel Lodhia - Bansuri/Voice/Music Contributions
Zaheer-Abbas Janmohamed - Tabla/Music Contributions

Production

Neha Ross, Stage Manager
Victoria Wang, Assistant Stage Manager
Jenny Kim, Assistant Stage Manager
Daniel Bennett, Technical Director
Anthony Allan, Assistant Technical Director
Danny Carr, Head of Video and Video Op
Matthew Mellinger, Video Engineer
Brandon Wells, Head of Sound
Olivia Wheeler, Assistant Sound Designer & Playback Operator
Rachel Forbes, Head of Wardrobe
Michelle Mohammed, Toronto Company Manager
Maya Royer, Assistant Producer (Mahabharata: Karma and Mahabharata:Dharma) & Production Manager/Stage Manager (Khana & Kahani)
Mary Anderson, Communications
Yvonne Lu Trinh, Digital Marketing
Wise Children Productions - UK General Management
Perspective Marketing - UK PR and Marketing
Karen Tisch, Executive Director of Why Not Theatre

Mahabharata includes text with permission from Carole Satyamurti’s Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling, published by W. W. Norton & Company, Devdutt Pattanaik’s Jaya, An Illustrated Retelling Of The Mahabharata, published by Penguin Random House India, and the poetry of Rabindranath Tagore.

Bhagavad Gita Opera

Written and adapted by Miriam Fernandes and Ravi Jain
Original music and score by John Gzowski and Suba Sankaran
Translation and text adaptation by Sharada K Eswar
Performed by Meher Pavri, with guest recording artist Trichy Sankaran (mrdangam)

Shaw Premiere Cast & Creative

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Major Partners

Partners

Mahabharata Circle

Dharma

Bhalla Family Foundation
Richard & Nancy Hamm
Ravi Jain & Sarena Parmar
Kate Love & Nigel Lawson

Karma

Upkar & Nita Arora
Surjit Babra
Marilyn & Charles Baillie
Chanchlani Foundation
Miriam Fernandes & Sturla Alvsvaag
Robert & Julia Foster
Blake & Susan Hutcheson
Nekison Engineering and Contractors
Richard Rooney & Laura Dinner
Daniel Tisch & Kerri Sakamoto
Karen Tisch & Mark Slone
Tamara Zielony

Seva

Anonymous
Donna Armstrong
Virginia Dixon
Ernest & Maria Fernandes
Sach Jain
Shailendra Jain
Jessica Kamphorst & Alex Whitehead
Bahi & Abby Kandavel
Raj & Shaila Kothari
Dana Lafarga
Deepa Mehta
Thomas Savundra
Nagpal Vir Family Foundation

Bhagavad Gita Donors

Canadian Opera Company
Ramesh & Asha Jain
Bhalla Family Foundation
Wuchien Michael Than Foundation
Neil & Amisha Jain
Ravi & Deepa Jeswani
Vahe Koraian
Amit & Swati Singhal
Agrawal Family

Sponsors for the Shaw Festival

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plan your visit

2023 cast + creative

partners

why not theatre

Why Not Theatre

Why Not Theatre is an international theatre company based in Toronto, Canada, operating at the intersection of art, innovation and social change. Rooted in values of community and collaboration, Why Not challenges the status quo, rethinking how stories are told and who gets to tell them. Since its inception, the company has developed and produced 50+ new plays to critical and public acclaim. These works have toured to over 50 cities and garnered over 40 awards and nominations. Why Not is led by Ravi Jain, Karen Tisch and Miriam Fernandes.

Click the button below to learn more about the Why Not Theatre team.

About Why Not Theatre

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shaw premiere cast & creative

Creative

Directed by Ravi Jain
Set design by Lorenzo Savoini
Costume design by Gillian Gallow
Lighting design by Kevin Lamotte
Projection design by Hana S. Kim
with Associate Projection designer Ann Slote
Sound design by John Gzowski and Suba Sankaran
Original music by John Gzowski and Suba Sankaran
with contributions from Dylan Bell, Hasheel Lodhia, Gurtej Singh Hunjan, and Zaheer-Abbas Janmohamed
Traditional music consultant Hasheel Lodhia
Choreographed by Brandy Leary
with contributions from Jay Emmanuel and Ellora Patnaik
Khana Storyteller and Creative Associate Sharada Eswar
Lead Producer Kevin Matthew Wong
Producer Michelle Yagi
Assistant Producer and Company Manager Matt Eger
Consulting Producer Kendra Bator

Cast

Shawn Ahmed
Jay Emmanuel
Neil D'Souza
Miriam Fernandes
Darren Kuppan
Anaka Maharaj Sandhu
Goldy Notay
Ellora Patnaik
Meher Pavri
Sakuntala Ramanee
Navtej Sandhu
Munish Sharma
Harmage Singh Kalirai
Sukania Venugopal
UNDERSTUDIES:
Varun Guru
Karthik Kadam
Ronica Sajnani
Ishan Sandhu

Musicians

Dylan Bell
John Gzowski
Gurtej Singh Hunjan
Zaheer-Abbas Janmohammed
Hasheel Lodhia
Suba Sankaran

Production

Production Manager, Crystal Lee
Associate Production Manager, Maya Royer
Production Stage Manager, Allan Teichman
Stage Manager, Neha Ross
Assistant Stage Managers, Tamara Protic and Ashley Ireland
Assistant Production Manager, Jacob Danson-Faraday*
Video & Systems, Engineer Danny Carr
Video Engineer, Matthew Mellinger
Video Assistant, Cameron Fraser
Technical Director of Video, Daniel Bennett
Assistant Sound Designer, Olivia Wheeler

Bhagavad Gita Opera

For Why Not Theatre

Executive Director, Karen Tisch
Finance Director, Sarah Newkirk
Associate Producer, Fatima Adam
Operations and Development Manager , Katy Mountain
Interim Marketing and Communications Manager, Mary Anderson
Marketing Specialist, Yvonne Lu Trinh
Web and Graphic Designer, Evan MacKenzie

* This assistantship is supported by the CITT/ICTS In-House Assistantship Program. This program has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada, through Canadian Heritage’s Performing Arts Workers Resilience Fund.

Khana Catering by Jalsa Kitchen / Rajesh Kataria

Barbican Tour Cast & Creative

THE LIFE WE INHERIT

King Janamejaya is holding a ritual sacrifice in which he will kill all the snakes in the world to avenge his father’s death. In hopes of ending this cycle of revenge, a storyteller is summoned to tell King Janamejaya the tale of The Mahabharata. The storyteller tells of the rival Pandava and Kaurava clans, and the choices that lead to their infamous Game of Dice. Through playful narration, classical Indian dance, and a live band, the ensemble tells the stories of humans struggling to build a just world in the face of competition, jealousy, and rage. Exploring the themes of storytelling, ecocide, and dharma (empathy), Part 1 begins Mahabharata’s epic journey that asks, “When everyone believes they are right and their opponents wrong, how can one end a spiral of revenge?”

PART ONE: KARMA

Community Meal and Storytelling Session

KHANA & KAHANI:

Mahabharata is a story that one learns over a lifetime; it needs to be absorbed and digested. To delve deeper into the philosophical riddles of the Pandava family’s thirteen years of exile, the audience gathers to share an Indian meal. Hosted by two charming storytellers, the audience experiences a tale from the Mahabharata as many people have, around the dinner table.

THE LIFE WE CHOOSE

PART TWO: DHARMA

King Janamejaya is told of the war fought by his ancestors – the battle of Kurukshetra and its devastating destruction of the planet, the mass extinction that follows, and of the survivors left behind to rebuild. In Mahabharata’s Part 2 (Dharma), the storytelling tools evolve into captivating projections, dynamic digital soundscapes, and poetic stage design. The stories delve simultaneously into philosophical and political ideas, and abstract and absolute truths. Interrogating the themes of justice and revenge, Part 2 includes a 15-minute Sanskrit opera adaptation of the Bhagavad Gita (The Song of God), which is the most sacred and famous chapter of the Mahabharata epic. The Bhagavad Gita tells of a conversation between the God Krishna and the great warrior Arjuna.

In times of division, how do we find wholeness? Are we destined to repeat the mistakes of our ancestors? Can we build a new world? King Janamejaya is confronted with the battle of Kurukshetra, and the battle inside his own heart.

behind the scenes

Bhagavad Gita Opera

Short Docs

Conversations

Bhagavad Gita Opera

As part of our production of Mahabharata, we developed a Sanskrit opera adaptation of the Bhagavad Gita. The opera can be experienced as part of Mahabharata Dharma: Part 2.

Click the thumbnail below to view a short preview of the opera that premiered at Jaipur Literature Festival Toronto (2020).

behind the scenes

Bhagavad Gita Opera

Short Docs

Conversations

Short Documentaries

Learn more about three essential components of Why Not Theatre's retelling of the Mahabharata through three short documentaries: Music, Khana & Kahani, and Movement. Videography by Devin McNulty.

Click the thumbnails below each heading to watch the short documentaries.

Music

Khana & Kahani

Movement

behind the scenes

Bhagavad Gita Opera

Short Docs

Conversations

Jaipur Literature Festival 2020

Devdutt Pattanaik in conversation with Ravi Jain and Miriam Fernandes

A conversation with famed mythologist, author, and illustrator Devdutt Pattanaik and theatre artists and writers Ravi Jain and Miriam Fernandes exploring the world of the Mahabharata through the lens of Jain and Fernandes’ stage adaptation of the ancient text. The conversation speaks to the relevance and importance of these myths in our modern world and how these epic stories can help us unpack the chaos around us.

Click the thumbnail below to watch a recording of the full session.

"A stunning world premiere."

- The Globe and Mail

Photo: The Cast of Why Not Theatre's Mahabharata (Shaw Festival, 2023). Photo by Michael Cooper.

Miriam Fernandes as the Storyteller, with Anaka Maharaj-Sandhu as Arjuna and Neil D’Souza as Krishna, in Why Not Theatre’s Mahabharata (Shas Festival, 2023). Photo by David Cooper.

"A captivating theatre experience, from the first flame to the last pixel."

- Robert Lepage

Photo: Miriam Fernandes, Anaka Maharaj-Sandhu, and Neil D'Souza in Why Not Theatre's Mahabharata (Shaw Festival, 2023). Photo by David Cooper.

"A magnificent achievement
in every way."

- Stage Door (Toronto)

Photo: Darren Kuppan, Harmage Singh Kalirai, Sakuntala Ramanee, and Goldy Notay in Why Not Theatre's Mahabharata (Shaw Festival, 2023). Photo by David Cooper.

Ellora Patnaik as Kunti and Goldy Notay as Gandhari inWhy Not Theatre’s Mahabharata (Shaw Festival, 2023). Photo by David Cooper.

"A triumphant success."

- Toronto Star

Photo: Ellora Patnaik and Golday Notay in Why Not Theatre's Mahabharata (Shaw Festival, 2023). Photo by David Cooper.

Anaka Maharaj-Sandhu as Arjuna, Munish Sharmaas Bhima, Shawn Ahmed as Yudhishthira and Sukania Venugopal as Bhishma with the cast of Why Not Theatre’s Mahabharata (Shaw Festival, 2023). Photo by David Cooper.

"“To be gob-smacked by this innovation would be an understatement.”

- Deepa Mehta (filmmaker)

Photo: The Cast of Why Not Theatre's Mahabharata (Shaw Festival, 2023). Photo by David Cooper.