In India’s cultural imagination, the wedding sangeet is a scene of music, camaraderie, and colour. What if that same gathering became a stage for women to question expectations and share their truths across generations?.
That is the premise of writer and director Purva Naresh’s Ladies Sangeet: A Musical Dramedy, which blends music, humour, and social critique. Presented by the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) as part of its growing cultural programming, the play returns to Delhi-NCR after nearly a decade, on August 30 at Apparel House, Gurugram.
The production by Aarambh Mumbai (founded by Purva and Asmit Pathare) features music by Vidushi Shubha Mudgal, Harpreet, Anadi Nagar, and Nishant Aggarwal.
For Purva , the play draws deeply from her formative years in the arts. Trained in Kathak and percussion, she recalls being urged by her gurus to surrender wholly to one discipline. “At home I was encouraged to question and explore,” she says, “but my gurus and institutions always pushed me towards obedience and choosing one form over the other.”
Stills from Ladies Sangeet
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
That spirit of inquiry, shaped further at Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Pune, found a voice in the character of Rukmini.
The wedding backdrop, Purva says, came naturally. “North India’s fetish for wedding celebrations prompted the theme and the universe of this play.”
Laughter as a lens
What makes Ladies Sangeet distinctive is its blend of humour and seriousness. “Music and humour save the play from becoming heavy-handed,” says Purva , who prefers satire and music as tools when working against the popular narrative.
Her characters draw from life —Megha reflects her mother’s generation, while the wedding planner was inspired by a small-town event manager she once met on tour.
“He kept promising to show me a demo on his ‘lappy’ [laptop] when it was clear he had none. For a while I wondered if he was making an advance,” she laughs.
What began as comedy became a metaphor: “The joke was not on him alone, it was on all of us. He showed how society makes us celebrate our own subjugation with glee.”
Women across generations
At its core, Ladies Sangeet is a conversation among women across generations — each strong in her own way, each negotiating tradition and modernity differently. For Purva , this was deeply personal. “It was tough not to judge them and yet keep them from becoming unidimensional,” she admits.
“I admired and empathised with them because they were brave women — resilient above all, though sometimes less analytical,” Purva says.
Stills from Ladies Sangeet
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
The play also mirrors her own tussle between reverence and rebellion. “As a classically trained dancer and percussionist, I have deep respect for the arts and my gurus. I had to find a balance between unquestioned reverence and informed respect.”
Still relevant, still resonant
Nearly a decade on, the themes of Ladies Sangeet remain relevant. If anything, Purva feels weddings have only grown more ostentatious. “When last checked, weddings have become bigger, longer, and fantastically ridiculous,” she says.
Social media, she adds, has only fuelled the appetite for spectacle. “The only change is that middle-class parents are arm-twisted into organising lavish weddings with fewer guests, so the couple can have more room for friends or a grander celebration.” The rise of ticketed ‘fake weddings’ and sangeet events, especially in Delhi, proves her point.
For KNMA, the production aligns with its wider cultural mission. “As we expand into new geographies, this presentation is a part of our larger effort to connect with new audiences and to create accessible and thought-provoking encounters with the arts,” highlights Aditi Jaitly, senior curator for performing arts, KNMA.
Theatre’s contract with its audience
For Purva , theatre remains the most powerful medium to probe such contradictions. “The moment the audience buys a ticket, there’s a contract. They suspend disbelief, and the performer promises a world through imagination. How can it not leave an impact on both parties?” she asks.
Purva Naresh
| Photo Credit:
Neville Sukhia
The impact is evident in the varied reactions Ladies Sangeet has evoked — from girls being led out of a performance in Jhansi by their teachers to a woman in Delhi returning for a second show with boxes of mithai; only because she felt like part of the family.
“All these reactions tell us that there is an impact — that they are listening,” says Purva .
The play, scheduled on Aug 30, 7 pm, at Apparel House, Sector 44, Gurugram, Haryana-122022 is for age group 16 and above (for ages below, parental guidance is advised). The run time is 120 minutes (plus 15 minute interval). Tickets can be purchased on district.in
Published – August 28, 2025 12:03 pm IST
