Lamakaan, Hyderabad’s open cultural space, will commemorate its 16th anniversary with a four-day program from February 5 to February 8. The celebrations will begin with a reading by veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, who will present excerpts from the works of renowned playwright Imtiaz Ali Taj. His is famous for the play Anarkali, which was later adapted into the classic Hindi film Mughal-e-Azam.
Ashhar Farhan, one of the founders of Lamakaan, said the anniversary program marked a shift in the approach to space programming. “This year is a shift from reflective to progressive,” he said, adding that the programming will be more exploratory and experimental.
Mr. Farhan said Lamakaan made a conscious effort to explore new formats. “We are highlighting Urdu playwrights this year, starting with Imtiaz Ali Taj,” he said.
Another part of the celebration will be Telugu literature with discussions on how liberalization has shaped its themes and interests. Among the more unusual offerings is a Bharatanatyam adaptation of Utho Ab Maati Se, Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poem about Palestine. Mr. Farhan said the idea was to place political and literary texts in new performative contexts.
He explained that Lamakaan’s focus on poetry also evolved. “We used to explore the lives of poets. Now we want to get to the heart of things, to explore the development of poetics and how it has changed over time.”
Political involvement in Lamakaan is also reviewed. While earlier discussions featured what Mr. Farhan described as “tough conversations” with politicians, the focus is now on broader policy processes. He cited the upcoming session of Biju Mathew, who worked on Zohran Mamdani’s campaign in New York for two years, and offered an insider’s view of how a minority candidate can win in one of the world’s most capitalist cities.
The program will also include reinterpretations of established narratives. “Du Saraswati retells episodes from the epics from the perspective of a Dalit woman,” said Mr. Farhan.
Published – 04 Feb 2026 20:09 IST