Shakeel Ahmmad and the Power of Performance in Troubled Times

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Shakeel Ahmed theatre director | Spinning Tree Theatre | Intercultural Theatre Institute Singapore | Ninasam trained artists | Contemporary theatre Karnataka | Yakshagana and Beijing Opera fusion | Psychophysical theatre India | Asian scholarship Intercultural Theatre | University of Kent theatre masters | Koodiyattam and Noh performance | Ullida Dehagalu play | Modern Kannada theatre | Traditional vs contemporary performance techniques | Theatre training methods Shakeel Ahmmad believes theatre is not just performance — it is resistance, reflection, and social change. A playwright, director, and performer, Shakeel Ahmmad has built a powerful body of work rooted in local language, lived realities, and contemporary political questions. His adaptations of global theatre classics bring international narratives into regional cultural contexts, making them deeply relevant to audiences across Karnataka. His reinterpretations of Athol Fugard’s Sizwe Bansi Is Dead as Anamikana Saavu and Bertolt Brecht’s The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui as Tindige Banda Tunderaya demonstrate how global theatre traditions can be reimagined through local language, context, and lived experiences. His solo performance A Bite of Food emerged as a response to mob lynching and social violence, reflecting his belief that artists must respond to the times they live in. Through bold storytelling and intense physical performance, his work challenges audiences to confront uncomfortable truths. Trained at Ninasam, one of India’s most respected theatre institutions, and later at the Intercultural Theatre Institute in Singapore, Shakeel Ahmmad blends traditional theatre practices with contemporary performance techniques. His work places strong emphasis on body dynamics, physical storytelling, and actor-driven performance. Through the Spinning Tree Theatre Company, founded in 2015, he continues to take theatre beyond conventional spaces, travelling across Karnataka and nurturing new performers. At Nirdigantha, he mentors students in performance language, body movement, and experimental theatre practices. Shakeel Ahmmad’s work highlights the continuing relevance of theatre as a powerful medium for dialogue, dissent, and cultural expression in modern India. Read about Shakeel here: https://www.deccanherald.com/dh-changemakers/theatre-with-a-conscience-3842017 About DH Changemakers: https://www.deccanherald.com/dh-changemakers #ShakeelAhmed #InterculturalTheatre #KarnatakaTheatre #Ninasam #Yakshagana #PerformingArts #TheatreDirector #CulturalFusion #DramaTraining #SpinningTreeTheatre #GlobalArts #ContemporaryTheatre #IndianArtists #ArtisticInnovation ------------ Liked the video? Tell us how we are doing in the comments section and don't forget to subscribe to our channel. Hit the Bell icon & never miss a video from Deccan Herald. For latest news, views & analysis log on to https://www.deccanherald.com/ Subscribe to our Telegram notifications: https://t.me/DeccanHeraldNews Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deccanherald/