Kishora Ranga Payana 2026
Kishora Ranga Payana 2026 was a three-day children’s theatre festival presented by Kalabhi (R.) in association with Ranga Adhyayana Kendra, St. Aloysius (Deemed to be University). Held from 24 to 26 April 2026 at the LCRI Auditorium, St. Aloysius College, Mangaluru, the festival was presented as Mangaluru’s three-day children’s theatre festival and was part of Kalabhi’s celebration of its fifth year.
The festival was inaugurated on 24 April 2026 by Mr. Eshwar Prasad Shetty, Founder of Yatharth Social. Ms. Vijayakranthi, ACP, Mangaluru South Subdivision, was the Guest of Honour. Rev. Dr. Melwyn D’Cunha SJ, Pro Vice Chancellor, St. Aloysius (Deemed to be University), and Mr. Suresh B. Varkady, President of Kalabhi (R.), were the Chief Guests.
The three-day festival brought together different productions, directors and groups, giving children’s theatre a platform to reach a wider public audience.
The festival opened on 24 April with Alladin Mayadeepa, presented by Kalabhi Children’s Theatre and directed by Bhuvan Manipal. The production was written by Bhavana Vishnumurthy Keremata, with the design by Ujwal U.V. The play marked another stage in the journey of a production that had its beginnings within Kalabhi’s children’s theatre work and continued to develop through the team.
On 25 April, the festival presented Soorya Chandra, directed by Rohith Baikadi and presented by Dhamani, Kundapura. Bringing another theatrical voice and approach into the festival, the production added to the diversity of styles and perspectives presented during Kishora Ranga Payana.
The final day, 26 April, began with Manthana – A Dialogue on Education, Art and the Child, centred on the topic “Education v/s Co-Curricular and Impact of Art on Child’s Life.” The session was designed as a conversation rather than a lecture, bringing together different perspectives on education, parenting, art and a child’s journey. Mahesh Kamath and Deepti Shetty participated as parents, Sachitha Nandagopal as an educationist, Vijayakumar Kodialbail as a director, and Sharan Chilimbi moderated the discussion.
The festival concluded with Al Shabash, directed by Charith Suvarna and presented by the Aralu 2026 team. The production brought the festival back to the stage, with children presenting their work before an audience as the concluding performance of the three-day programme.
Another significant part of the festival was the presentation of the Kalabhi Yuva Puraskara 2026 to Ms. Raksha Poojary, a visual artist. The recognition formed part of Kalabhi’s effort to acknowledge young artistic voices and their contribution to the cultural space.
With productions by different teams and directors, alongside a conversation on education, art and childhood, Kishora Ranga Payana 2026 brought together performance, discussion and recognition within a single festival. It created a space for children’s theatre to be experienced not only by the children on stage, but also by parents, artists, educators and the wider Mangaluru audience.
The festival thus continued Kalabhi’s effort to give children’s theatre a dedicated and visible place within Mangaluru’s cultural landscape, while creating opportunities for young performers to experience theatre as a serious, collaborative and evolving art form.
