About
Makarand Deshpande is one of Indian theatre's most prolific and distinctive playwright-directors, the founder of the Ansh Theatre Group. Over a career begun at Prithvi Theatre, he has written and directed some ninety original plays, alongside a parallel career as a character actor in film.
Makarand Deshpande began his theatre journey in 1990 at Prithvi Theatre with the support of Sanjana Kapoor, and in 1993 founded the Ansh Theatre Group with Kay Kay Menon. Over three decades he has authored more than fifty short plays and forty full-length plays and directed them for the stage, while also appearing as a memorable character actor in Hindi and regional cinema.
The artistry
Deshpande's theatre is idiosyncratic and prolific, marked by original writing that moves between myth, philosophy, humour and the everyday, and by an experimental, actor-driven staging sensibility. Works such as Sir Sir Sirla, Joke, Ram, Krishna and Patni have made Ansh a byword for a personal, playwright-led theatre.
[Atlas Perspective] Makarand Deshpande is among India's most prolific and distinctive theatre-makers. For festivals and cultural programmes, he is a strong choice.
Makarand Deshpande has sustained a rare, prolific playwright-led theatre in India, building the Ansh Theatre Group into a lasting home for original Hindi drama and shaping Mumbai's independent theatre scene for over three decades.