Rashtragranth takes the Constitution centre stage in Marathi theatre

MUMBAI: Curtain up on the Constitution. Just ahead of Republic Day, a Marathi theatre production is turning India’s founding text into live, breathing drama, as Rashtragranth prepares for its official public rollout across Maharashtra from February 2026.

Conceived by Artistic Humans in collaboration with Culturally by Shubhlab, Rashtragranth is being positioned as the first large-scale Marathi play to focus entirely on the Constitution of India. First unveiled on January 26 last year, the production has already travelled across nine districts through free pilot performances, gathering public feedback with the support of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra.

The play’s initial unveiling took place in the presence of Bhimrao Yashwant Ambedkar, adding symbolic weight to a production rooted in constitutional values. Following strong audience response, the creators are now scaling the project into a full-fledged public run.

Produced and conceptualised by Darshan Mahajan of Artistic Humans, Rashtragranth draws inspiration from prime minister Narendra Modi’s description of the Constitution as “our guiding light”. The production aims to move constitutional ideas beyond textbooks, translating them into a cultural experience that resonates across generations, particularly with younger audiences.

Structured as a 120-minute, two-act play, Rashtragranth traces India’s evolving relationship with its Constitution, weaving together historical milestones and contemporary questions around rights, duties and democracy. Rather than lecturing, the play leans on storytelling, performance and emotion to spark civic reflection.

The initiative has received formal recognition from the office of the chief minister of Maharashtra. Devendra Fadnavis praised the production for using theatre to communicate complex civic ideas, commending its focus on constitutional rights and duties, social justice, gender equality, democracy and citizens’ rights.

The creative team behind Rashtragranth brings together established names from India’s theatre circuit. The script is written by playwrights Prasad Thorve and Abhiram Bhadkamkar, while direction is handled by Kumar Sohoni, an alumnus of the National School of Drama and a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. The production features 51 characters, original music by Milind Joshi, costumes designed by Chaitrali Dongre, and an elaborate stage design recreating 15 historic locations by Sandesh Bendre.

Officials from the Department of Cultural Affairs have described the production as timely, particularly as India marks 75 years of the Constitution. In their view, Rashtragranth demonstrates how theatre can function as a powerful medium for deepening democratic understanding across diverse sections of society.

Beyond the stage, the creators see the project as cultural infrastructure with measurable social and economic impact. Each performance supports the livelihoods of more than 50 artists and technicians, a number that could expand significantly as the show scales. The team plans to eventually adapt Rashtragranth into 10 languages, potentially supporting over 500 livelihoods and contributing to India’s growing creative or “Orange” economy, with Maharashtra and Mumbai positioned as hubs of cultural innovation.

The production also emphasises sustainability, with a move towards zero-waste practices, and inclusivity, with plans for workshops, folk-art integrations, assistive technologies for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, and ticket pricing kept lower than typical industry standards.

Artistic Humans founder Darshan Mahajan describes Rashtragranth as more than a theatrical production. According to him, it is an attempt to bridge art, education and citizenship through emotional storytelling, and to demonstrate how social messages can be communicated powerfully through the performing arts.

Culturally by Shubhlab founder Prathmesh Navalkar said the long-term vision is to build a sustainable ecosystem for artists and technicians, while also making theatre more accessible and inclusive for wider audiences.

As it prepares for its statewide public launch, Rashtragranth is being positioned as a model that other states could adopt to promote constitutional literacy. The initiative aligns with national efforts such as the “Har Dil Mein Samvidhan” campaign, which aims to encourage citizens to engage more deeply with the values and responsibilities enshrined in the Constitution.

By placing the Constitution under the spotlight quite literally Rashtragranth signals how theatre can turn civic duty into shared cultural experience, making democracy not just something to read about, but something to feel.