About The Event
ACT Season 16
(February 22-28, 2026)
Various Venues in Delhi/NCR
The 16th edition of ACT – Atelier Campus Theatre Festival marks not just another year of performances but a reaffirmation of what theatre truly stands for: community, collaboration, and collective expression. ACT embraces the spirit of celebration—a celebration of voices, dissent, identities, stories, and the transformative power of coming together.
Atelier’s ACT Festival aka "Atelier’s Campus Theatre" Festival is the World’s Largest Campus Theatre fiesta. Started in 2007, this festival has witnessed more than 800 performances in the last 15 seasons.
In Season 16, we aim to achieve a bigger, better and diverse this year, from February 22-28, 2026.
Festival Curator
Kuljeet Singh
Festival Director
Mansi Grover
Festival Manager
Manjot Singh
Festival Advisor
Gaurav Suri
Name of the group: Hasratein
Name of the college : Ram lal anand college
Synopsis of the play:
The play centers on Jairaj and Ratna, a middle-aged couple who were renowned Indian classical dancers. Now, they think about their earlier struggles: how Jairaj`s desire to be a male dancer ran against the conventional role of masculinity, and how Ratna`s pursuit of fame came at the cost of several relationships. Their daughter Lata, too, is a dancer and prepares for her arangetram (debut performance). Unresolved tensions rise once again. As the story unfolds, the audience is shown the influences of parental control, jealousy, societal pressure, and personal ambition that mold their lives. The play questions whether one can truly "dance like a man"—free from the fetters of society—or whether life forces one to compromise on their dreams. It is a sensitive and ironic portrayal of identity, family expectations, and the struggle for artistic freedom.
