Aug 21–23, 2026 · Khopoli

राजर्षी शाहू कला महोत्सव

A 3-day celebration of theatre, dance & music.

The Opportunity

Khopoli's first theatre festival

Khopoli has never hosted a dedicated theatre festival. This August, we're reopening the town's newly renovated 550-seat auditorium with three days of workshops, competition, and performance — putting Khopoli on Maharashtra's theatre map for the first time.

550
Seat auditorium
1650+
Projected footfall
Free
Entry, no ticket barrier
3 days
Media coverage
The Programme

3-day schedule

Workshop · Competition · Show — 21, 22, 23 August 2026

TimeDay 1Day 2Day 3
8 AM – 2 PM Acting Workshop
by Suraj Parasnis
Theatre & Mental Health
by Dr. Supriya Dhongde
Dance Workshop
(TBD)
3 PM – 6 PM नगराध्यक्ष करंडक
2 local colleges
नगराध्यक्ष करंडक
2 local colleges
नगराध्यक्ष करंडक
2 local colleges
7 PM Show: काही प्रॉब्लेम ये का?
+ 1 more
Show: भयंकराच्या दरवाज्यात कोण? Prize Distribution
Learn From The Pros

Workshops

Hands-on sessions led by working theatre and mental-health professionals, open to all — no prior experience needed.

Day 1 · 8 AM–2 PM

Acting Workshop

Suraj Parasnis — Director & Actor
Fundamentals of stage acting and character work, drawn from professional stage and screen practice.
Day 2 · 8 AM–2 PM

Theatre & Mental Health

Dr. Supriya Dhongde — Clinical Psychologist & Theatre Artist
Exploring how performance and psychology intersect — for performers and audiences alike.
Day 3 · 8 AM–2 PM

Dance Workshop

Facilitator to be announced
A movement-based session rounding out the festival's workshop track. Details coming soon.
On The Main Stage

Performances

Two full-length productions taking the stage across the festival — free and open to all.

Day 1 · 7 PM

काही प्रॉब्लेम ये का?

Rasabhinay
Part of Day 1's evening line-up, alongside one additional performance.
Day 2 · 7 PM

भयंकराच्या दरवाज्यात कोण?

Nirmaan Arts
An evening production closing out Day 2 of the festival.
The Flagship Competition

नगराध्यक्ष करंडक

An inter-college theatre competition for teams across Khopoli, Karjat & Panvel — full rulebook, format, and registration on its dedicated page.

View details & register
About Us

Why we're building this

Khopoli has one of the region's finest theatre spaces — a newly renovated, 550-seat auditorium — and, until now, no festival to match it. राजर्षी शाहू कला महोत्सव started with a simple question: what would it take to give this stage its first true celebration?

We wanted a festival that did three things at once: introduce a new generation of students and families to live theatre, hand homegrown artists and colleges a platform they rarely get access to, and put Khopoli on Maharashtra's cultural map alongside towns with a longer theatre history.

Over three days, that takes shape as workshops led by working theatre professionals, an inter-college competition open to teams from Khopoli, Karjat and Panvel, and two full-length productions on the main stage — all free and open to the public.

This is a first for our town, and we're building it with that in mind: something Khopoli can call its own, and keep returning to every year.

— Arnav Deshpande & Saurabh Shigwan
Get Involved

Contact us

Pick what brings you here — we'll take it from there.

🙋

Join as a volunteer

Help run the festival — logistics, backstage, media, and more.

🎭

Participate in नगराध्यक्ष करंडक

Bring your college to the flagship inter-college competition.

Go to registration
🎬

Have a play, want to perform?

This year's slots are full — share your details for next edition.