Across cities, stages are hosting stories that examine motherhood, grief, war, memory, ambition, trauma, regret, faith, or hope. Some intimate black-box performances and some larger productions; there is compelling work to catch this month.
Belly of the Beast | Mumbai
On July 11 and 12, Belly of the Beast arrives at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, NCPA, with a mythical meditation on motherhood. Adapted from Kalki Koechlin’s The Elephant in the Womb, the production weaves together live music and shadow puppetry as five women morph into mythical creatures, tracing the emotional terrain of pregnancy, postpartum and everything that follows.
Offside | Goa
On July 18, Ketan Jadhav’s acclaimed multilingual play Offside comes to the Museum of Goa. Performed in Konkani and English, the play is set in a football-obsessed Goan village, following a wireman who restores power to others while his own life slowly darkens. It is a devastating portrait of rural life, resilience and those forever left defending, while others move ahead.
If Only | Delhi
Running from July 22 to 24 at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), If Only is Vidushi Mehra’s play about four young adults chasing dreams in Mumbai’s Hindi film industry. Unpacking ambition, self-doubt and the hunger to be seen, the production offers a story of the emotional costs behind the pursuit of recognition.
This Time | Mumbai
Running on July 9 and 10 at Prithvi Theatre, This Time, written and directed by Akarsh Khurana, is a bittersweet comedy about love, memory and the lives we imagined for ourselves. When former lovers Alisha and Pranav reunite at a college reunion two decades after their breakup, old friendships, buried regrets and midlife reckonings resurface.
The Day My Father Became a Bush | Bengaluru
On July 25, The Day My Father Became a Bush comes to Ranga Shankara as part of the AHA! International Theatre for Children Festival. This acclaimed 50-minute English play from Germany follows eight-year-old Toda as she flees a war zone in search of her mother, offering a child’s perspective on conflict, courage and the power of hope.
Black Bird | Chennai
Running on July 11 and 12 at Medai – The Stage, Black Bird is the staging of David Harrower’s acclaimed contemporary drama. Directed by Vinod Anand and Balram, the story follows a devastating reunion between Una and Ray, fifteen years after a controversial relationship, confronting memory, trauma, guilt and the unsettling weight of the past.
Words Nidhi Soni
Date 7.6.2026