Hamsa: Rajit Kapur and Shweta Tripathi bring Kashmir’s human story to the stage

Kashmir’s story is often told through the language of conflict, politics and loss. But behind every headline are people whose lives, relationships and dreams are altered by circumstances beyond their control. It is this deeply human side of the region that Hamsa, written by Asad Hussain and directed by Rajit Kapur, brings to the stage. Drawing on the story of Norwegian tourist Hans Christian Ostro, the play explores the emotional cost of conflict through one man’s experiences, opening up a larger story of grief, vulnerability and resilience.

Presented by Saransh Productions as part of the Prithvi Theatre Festival 2026, the play features Shweta Tripathi, Shernaz Patel, Sadiya Siddiqui, Faisal Rashid, Sahil Ahuja and Rajit Kapur. In an exclusive conversation with Indulge Express, Kapur and Tripathi open up about what drew them to the story, its emotional weight and the process of bringing it to the stage.

A story that stayed with him

For Kapur, Hamsa was a story that refused to leave him. He recalls being affected by it when he first read it years ago.

"Even when we read it years ago, it stayed with me. When I re-read it last year, it almost consumed me. I felt I had to do it. It reached out to me. There was something lyrical and almost poetic about the writing,” he says.

"I have brilliant actors who can translate, or rather imbibe and convey, this grief and loss to the audience. They are the medium. It is only through the actors that you can convey all these emotions,” he adds.

Putting people before politics

For Tripathi, the human aspect of the story was what drew her in. She wanted to look beyond the conflict, geography, and politics to understand the people caught in its aftermath.

“Beyond conflict, geography or politics, there are people, relationships, dreams and lives that are affected. What stayed with me was the vulnerability of the human experience and what people carry within themselves,” she says.

Two mediums, one foundation

Having worked across theatre and cinema, both Kapur and Tripathi have their own understanding of what each medium demands.

“You have to understand the medium and the space. Experience teaches you how to project and reach your audience with your voice, whether you are performing in a 200-seat or a 1,000-seat auditorium. These are technical aspects. The camera is different, so you adapt. But your grounding comes from theatre and rehearsals,” he says.

Tripathi, meanwhile, sees the two mediums as being in constant conversation throughout her journey.

“Cinema has taught me subtlety, how to communicate through a look or a moment. Theatre demands presence and surrender. There are no retakes or second chances," she says.

What: Hamsa, a play written by Asad Hussain and directed by Rajit Kapur.

Where: Prithvi Theatre, Juhu, Mumbai.

When: November 12, 2026, at 6 pm and 9 pm.

For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.