ACROSS the country, theatre activist and writer Safdar Hashmi's birthday on April 12, was celebrated as National Street Theatre Day. Since his martyrdom, this day has been observed annually to honour his life and work through the medium of street theatre. This year marked the 37th edition of National Street Theatre Day.

In New Delhi, SAHMAT commemorated the day through variouis plays. In front of an engaged audience of many theatre lovers, social activists, and cultural workers, six eminent Delhi-based theatre groups – including Safdar's own JANAM – performed street plays on contemporary themes.

Two recurring themes in the performances were the suppression of dissent and the reckless, profit-driven destruction of the environment. True to the tradition of nukkad natak, all plays used minimal props and relied heavily on music and songs to convey their message.

Ankur’s SattaGraha explored questions of justice and fairness, focusing on the arbitrary misuse of power by a rogue state. Similarly, Afalatoon’s Mother on Sale highlighted how money power captures and controls vital public resources.

Anukrati, the theatre group from Miranda House, presented Seh-Mat, a play addressing multiple layers of oppression and the systematic silencing of dissent. The performance delved into the denial of democratic space and the outright suppression of opposing voices.

The theatre group from Zakir Hussain College performed Unheard Voices, a bold and moving portrayal of the lives and struggles of manual scavengers – a profession officially banned, yet one that continues to claim hundreds of lives each year.

JANAM, with its characteristic blend of humour and seriousness, presented Ek Berozgar ki Adhuri Love Story, a musical that told the story of a young woman deeply in love with Naukari (employment). Despite overcoming all hurdles and fulfilling every requirement, she is unable to unite with her beloved, as Mr Capital simply won’t allow it.

Rajdhani College’s theatre society, Trayambakam, concluded the evening with Mute-Iny, a powerful piece focusing on the brutal silencing of voices that speak for public and social interest.