Award-winning play, Mithyasur, explores the uneasy space between faith and logic

The title gives away the first clue. Mithyasur sits somewhere between mithya — illusion — and the demon king who begins appearing in a high priest’s dreams. But what unfolds is less a battle between good and evil than a tussle between what one believes and what one can prove. Set in 18th-century Hindustan, Ujaagar Dramatic Association’s Hindi play Mithyasur follows Mahapurohit Somdev, the high priest of an ancient temple, whose dreams are guided by Rakshas Raj Kumbh.

His faith is soon tested by Rajkumari Revati, a royal princess who places her trust in science and reason. As the two worlds meet, the distinction between the mythical and the real begins to blur. Directed by Ajeet Singh Pallawat and written by Pranay Pandey, the play takes its cue from a familiar discomfort: decisions that affect many are often made by a few, behind closed doors and far from the voices of those who have to live with them. Somdev finds himself caught at the centre of that question. Can someone divided between belief and logic make the right choice for an entire society?

“What attracted me most was its possibility of incorporating music while exploring a thought that concerns every individual. If you are capable of balancing two elements — faith and logic — in society, personal life or rela - tionships, life becomes much easier. The context of the play speaks about the country and the world and the way faith can separate people from science and logic. It does not suggest that either is right or wrong; it asks you to find a balance between the two,” Ajeet shares.

The play’s traditional-meetscontemporary approach extends beyond its premise. Its music, set, movement and performances bring the two sensibilities together, allowing Mithyasur to move between ritual and rebellion, the mythical and the modern. That balance has also found recognition on the stage. At the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META 2026), Mithyasur won three awards: Best Production, Best Original Script for Pranay and Best Supporting Actor – Male. Yet the play’s conflict remains personal. Somdev carries the weight of his position, his society and his nation in a single decision.

“While the idea that the deity gives him darshan in a dream may be enough to convince people, the princess tells him that he is intelligent and must therefore think about the welfare of the state. There is a self-journey through which this balance I am talking about keeps returning to the audience. The writer also sets this up beautifully in the preface, against the backdrop of pre-independence India, when the British had established their power in the country,” the director says. In doing so, Mithyasur turns a question about governance into one about the individual: when faith and reason pull in opposite directions, what does it take to choose wisely?

For the director, the music had to inhabit the world of the play rather than merely accompany it. He turned to Mohit Agarwal, a theatre and musical director, to build that soundscape.

“ When I shared the idea and explained how we were thinking of writing the music, I told him about the demon king. I imagined something in the style of koodiyattam, the ancient art form from Kerala. I felt its beats, rhythm and rigour were what the play needed. New elements also emerged through experimentation, such as using the khartal for the demon king. One of our artistes explored the been because I feel it has a sound that can be haunting at one moment and soothing at another. Those elements fascinated me. They felt beautiful and connected to the story because Mithyasur is a story of the same kind,” he concludes.

₹499. October 10, 3.30 pm &7.30 pm. At Ranga Shankara, JP Nagar.

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