रंगसेतू — प्रसिद्धीपत्रक / घोषणाRangasetu — Press Release / Announcement

Mumbai, October 2026: Marathi theatre has travelled far beyond Maharashtra. Across the world, Marathi theatre groups and enthusiasts continue to write, direct, perform and sustain the language and its theatrical traditions. Yet much of this work remains within overseas communities, with limited opportunities to connect with the wider Marathi theatre ecosystem in India.

Rangasetu 2027 seeks to change that.

Organised by Prayog Malad, Rangasetu is an audio-visual one-act play competition created specifically for Marathi theatre organisations and artists based outside India. Its purpose is simple but ambitious: to create a bridge between Marathi theatre being created overseas and the theatre community in Mumbai.

The initiative carries the tagline:

परदेशस्थ मराठी रंगकर्मींना जोडणारा सेतू
The bridge connecting overseas Marathi theatre enthusiasts

Registration for the inaugural edition is now open, with entries accepted until 4 November 2026.

A platform for original Marathi theatre from around the world

Rangasetu is open to organisations and theatre artists based outside India. Participating teams must present a new Marathi one-act play of 35 to 45 minutes that reflects the lives and experiences of Indians living abroad today.

The production must not have been staged previously. If a play is based on an existing story, poem or other literary work, the participating organisation must obtain the necessary permission from the original author or rights holder.

Each organisation may submit one entry.

The entry fee is ₹2,000, payable in Indian rupees through the participating organisation’s Indian representative. Foreign currency payments are not accepted.

A competition built around the performance, not an edited video

One of Rangasetu’s most distinctive features is its approach to video submission.

Participating teams are required to record their play using a three-camera setup. For the preliminary round, however, only the centre-camera master recording is submitted.

That recording must be:

• 35–45 minutes long
• One continuous performance
• Without cuts, re-takes, editing or dubbing
• At least 1080p resolution, with 4K recommended
• Submitted as a single .mp4 or .mov file
• Recorded with clear, audible dialogue

This structure is designed to keep the preliminary evaluation focused on the actual theatrical performance rather than post-production. The preliminary jury will primarily consider originality of theme, direction and acting.

Every submission will also undergo a technical pre-check covering aspects such as audio clarity and recording quality. Technical acceptance will be communicated by email within four days of submission.

From stages overseas to a theatre in Mumbai

The journey does not end with an online submission.

Following the preliminary round, five productions will be selected for the final round. Those five productions will be screened in a Mumbai theatre on 21 February 2027, where distinguished judges present at the venue will evaluate the productions and announce the final results.

For the final round, the selected teams must submit the complete edited version recorded with all three cameras by 15 February 2027.

The finale will be a physical meeting point between overseas theatre-makers and the Mumbai theatre community, with the screening intended for judges, participating teams and an audience. A YouTube livestream is also planned.

The venue for the Mumbai finale will be announced separately.

A clear three-part entry process

Rangasetu has structured participation into three stages, giving overseas teams time to prepare their productions and documentation.

Part 1 — Registration and fee

Deadline: 4 November 2026

Teams submit their organisation details and pay the ₹2,000 entry fee. Once the application is accepted, the organisation receives a unique Entry ID, which is used for all subsequent communication and for identifying the submitted video.

Part 2 — Play details and documentation

Deadline: 1 December 2026

Participants must submit:

• A copy of the play/script, with writer and director details
• The writer’s permission
• Complete cast details with character introductions
• Required permissions and undertakings

A signed undertaking from the writer and director is also required.

Part 3 — Video submission

Deadline: 18 January 2027

The recorded 35–45 minute play must be uploaded through the Rangasetu website as a single .mp4 or .mov file.

Five finalists, followed by a live Mumbai finale

The preliminary judging will take place from 19 to 30 January 2027, after which the five finalists will be announced on 31 January 2027.

The finalists then have until 15 February 2027 to submit the fully edited three-camera version of their production.

On Sunday, 21 February 2027, the five selected plays will be screened at a Mumbai theatre. The judges will evaluate the productions in person and announce the final results at the prize ceremony.

A finalist cannot withdraw from the competition after being selected for the final round.

₹61,000 for Gold — plus awards across the creative team

Rangasetu recognises both the overall production and individual artistic contributions.

Team awards

Best One-Act Play — Gold
₹61,000 + Trophy + Certificate

Best One-Act Play — Silver
₹51,000 + Trophy + Certificate

In addition, three special-mention productions will receive a trophy and certificate each.

Individual awards

Five individual categories carry ₹15,000 + Trophy + Certificate each:

• Best Direction
• Best Writing
• Best Performance — Male
• Best Performance — Female
• Notable Theatre Artist

All cash prizes will be paid in Indian rupees.

Experienced theatre practitioners guide the initiative

Rangasetu brings together experienced names from the Marathi theatre and literary ecosystem as mentors and advisors.

Mentors

• Vijay Kenkre
• Ashok Rane

Advisors

• Dr. Anil Bandiwadekar
• Anil Gawas
• Sambhaji Sawant
• Mahendra Teredesai

The initiative is supported by Rangabhoomi as Media Partner, iXyr Media as Digital Partner, and MM Team, USA as Creative Partner.

Why Rangasetu matters

For Marathi theatre communities overseas, Rangasetu creates an opportunity to do more than simply record and submit a play. It offers a route to visibility within the broader Marathi theatre world, recognition for individual artists, and the possibility of seeing their work presented to an audience in Mumbai.

The competition also deliberately asks artists to engage with a subject that is uniquely their own: the contemporary lives of Indians living outside India.

Migration, identity, belonging, family, relationships, cultural memory and the experience of building a life away from India can all become part of the theatrical conversation. Rangasetu provides a platform for these experiences to be expressed in Marathi, by the people living them.

For audiences in India, the initiative offers a window into how Marathi theatre is being created across geographical and cultural boundaries.

Key dates

The bridge begins with a play

The name Rangasetu — a bridge for theatre — captures the larger idea behind the initiative.

Marathi theatre has always travelled with Marathi-speaking communities. Rangasetu aims to give that travelling theatre a formal meeting point: a place where productions created overseas can reach Mumbai, where artists can be recognised, and where new stories from the Marathi diaspora can enter a wider theatrical conversation.

The inaugural edition of Rangasetu 2027 is now open for registration.

Registration deadline: 4 November 2026

For rules, eligibility, registration, timelines and complete competition details, visit www.rangasetu.com.

About Rangasetu

Rangasetu is an audio-visual one-act play competition organised by Prayog Malad for Marathi theatre organisations and artists based outside India. The initiative seeks to connect Marathi theatre across the world with the theatre community in Mumbai.

Rangasetu 2027
परदेशस्थ मराठी रंगकर्मींना जोडणारा सेतू
The bridge connecting overseas Marathi theatre enthusiasts

Organised by: Prayog Malad
Email: hello@rangasetu.com
Website: www.rangasetu.com
Phone: +91 703 703 8444 / +91 98215 70076