After over two decades of friendship and a creative partnership that has yielded some of Indian theatre’s most memorable work, powerhouse Mahesh Manjrekar and veteran theatre producer Ashvin Gidwani come together once again… this time with Animal, a stark and uncompromising new Hindi play. Years after their widely successful first stage collaboration, Double Deal, the duo returns with a work that is rawer, leaner, and far more unsettling. An unflinching, actor-driven work, Animal examines the slow, often invisible erosion of the human spirit in the pursuit of ambition. At its centre is Dattu played by Manjrekar, a young man from a small town near Pandharpur, Maharashtra, who arrives in Mumbai chasing the promise of stardom. What begins as faith in the city and belief in himself gradually turns into a fight for survival. Alone on stage, Dattu addresses the city, imagined audiences, and his own fractured conscience, as performance and confession merge into one. Produced by AGP World, Animal comes to the stage after nearly nine years of discussion and preparation. In the production, Manjrekar takes on the dual role of director and performer - a choice that gives the play its urgency and vulnerability.

 

Stripped of theatrical safety nets, with no ensemble and no visual excess, the weight of the production rests entirely on the performer’s body, voice, and presence. Interestingly, even as Animal takes shape, Manjrekar and Gidwani are simultaneously collaborating on another theatre production, Lovable Rascal, all set to be showcased this February. Having spent decades in the industry and seen the full arc of success, failure, and everything in between, Manjrekar says Animal comes from what he has witnessed first-hand. “Dattu is not a hero,” he says. “He is not even extraordinary. He is a young man from the soil who arrives in Mumbai carrying a suitcase full of dreams and a stomach full of hunger. I have seen thousands like him. Some become stars. Most become shadows.” He continues, “What drew me was his innocence and how slowly the city peels it away. Dattu does not turn into an animal overnight. It happens quietly. One compromise. One humiliation. One rejection at a time.” In fact, Mumbai itself functions as an unseen force within Animal. Rather than being depicted visually, the city is felt through sound, pace, and pressure - a presence that tests endurance rather than offering refuge. The city does not seduce in this play; it evaluates. Catch Animal on March 7, 2026 at the Tata Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point, from 7 pm onwards. Tickets are live on BookMyShow. n