Mohit Takalkar’s award-winning play makes its international premiere at Perform Sharjah

Overview

Sharjah Art Foundation announces the international premiere of Mohit Takalkar’s play Hunkaro, winner of seven awards across 13 categories at the 2023 Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards in Delhi. Co-presented with Ishara Art Foundation, the performance takes place on 17 and 18 February 2024 in Calligraphy Square, Sharjah.

Concluding Perform Sharjah’s second season of performances, the play interweaves three contemporary tales of human hardship, tied together by a common thread: the vital importance of hope.

Hunkaro, meaning ‘verbal affirmation’ in Marathi, invites the audience to practise the precious gift of attention through active, participatory listening. The six actors use traditional singing and vocal techniques to narrate stories in different styles, languages and dialects. Speaking and singing in Marwadi, Hindi, Awadhi and Haryanvi, they employ unique vocalising techniques that emphasise the aesthetic value of language and the importance of the spoken word.

Ticketing information

Admission is free; however, prior booking is advised.
Book your tickets now at sharjahart.org.

About Mohit Takalkar

Theatre director, playwright and filmmaker Mohit Takalkar (b. 1977, Pune) co-founded the Pune-based theatre company Aasakta Kalamanch in 2003. He has directed more than 30 experimental plays. In 2015, his adaptation of Palestinian playwright Amir Nizar Zuabi's play I Am Yusuf and This Is My Brother won five awards at the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards

About Sharjah Art Foundation

Sharjah Art Foundation is an advocate, catalyst and producer of contemporary art within the Emirate of Sharjah and the surrounding region, in dialogue with the international arts community. The Foundation advances an experimental and wide-ranging programmatic model that supports the production and presentation of contemporary art, preserves and celebrates the distinct culture of the region, and encourages a shared understanding of the transformational role of art. The Foundation’s core initiatives include the long-running Sharjah Biennial, featuring contemporary artists from around the world; the annual March Meeting, a convening of international arts professionals and artists; grants and residencies for artists, curators and cultural producers; ambitious and experimental commissions; and a range of travelling exhibitions and scholarly publications.

About Ishara Art Foundation

Ishara Art Foundation was founded in 2019 as a non-profit organisation dedicated to presenting contemporary art of South Asia. Located in Dubai, the Foundation supports emerging and established practices that advance critical dialogue and explore global interconnections.

Guided by a research-led approach, Ishara realises its mission through exhibitions, onsite and online programmes, education initiatives and collaborations in the UAE and internationally. The Foundation facilitates exchange between South Asian and international artistic networks that include museums, foundations, institutions, galleries and individuals.

The Ishara logo, a synthesis of a square and circle, is based on an ideogram by Zarina to convey the word آسمان (‘Aasman’), sky. It forms one of 36 images from ‘Home is a Foreign Place’ (1999), a work in the collection of Ishara’s Founder and Chairperson, Smita Prabhakar. Ishara signifies a gesture, a signal or a hint, and is a word common to several languages including Arabic, Persian, Hindi, Swahili and Urdu.
Ishara Art Foundation is presented in partnership with Alserkal.

Media Contact

Alyazeyah Al Marri
alyazeyah@sharjahart.org
+971(0)65444113