Experience the emotional journey of 'The Kite Runner' through innovative stagecraft in Hyderabad

Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner is a story loved by readers around the world. It is a tale of friendship, love, guilt and redemption set in Afghanistan. Now, this powerful novel has been brought to the stage by Arena Theatre Productions, who has given it a new visual and emotional life.

Arena Theatre Productions brings The Kite Runner to Hyderabad

The play, adapted by Matthew Spangler, captures the heart of Khaled’s novel in a two-and-a-half hour performance. “When I first picked up the script, I thought it had done complete justice to the novel. Even though the book is so detailed, you don’t feel like you’re missing anything in the play. Every scene feels alive,” says Tahera, the director.

For her, what made the project special was the chance to add her own artistic touch. “It is a very text heavy story. So I wanted to bring in movement, abstract and visual pieces that lift the emotion and energy on stage,” Tahera explains. By adding her own creative layers, she turned key moments into visually powerful scenes.

To show the story’s passage through time and places, from Kabul to California, Tahera uses lighting, projections and costumes instead of large sets. “When you have minimal set, light becomes your set,” she says. “It helps us move from one place to another, from one feeling to the next.”

Music is another important part of the experience. The show features original live music by Jyotishka Sengupta, which, as Tahera says, “stitches the whole story beautifully together.” The play has touched audiences deeply. “We have had people crying through certain scenes, and others cheering during the kite tournament. It feels complete when you see that emotion in the audience,” Tahera shares.

As the production travels to Hyderabad, Tahera hopes audiences will connect with the play the same way readers connect with the book. “I want them to feel everything, the joy, the heartbreak, the hope, and remember it for a long time,” she concludes.

Tickes at Rs 399.

November 8, 3.30 pm & 7.30 pm.

At Rangabhoomi— Events and Spaces, Serilingampalle.

Email: anshula.u@newindianexpress.com

X: @indulgexpress

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