Shikhi – Eternal Flame of Stree

The production emerged from the idea of portraying Stree Shakti woman as a force of nature, compassion, strength and endurance.

The production drew from the experiences and struggles associated with women’s lives, looking at womanhood not merely through its traditional imagery, but as a larger journey of strength, emotion and existence. The central idea was expressed through a combination of movement, music and visual performance, allowing the theme to be experienced through the stage rather than presented only as a narrative.

Aira Acharya Udupi was one of the principal performers associated with the production. A trained musician and performing artist, she brought her experience in music and performance to the work. The production also involved Prashanth Udyavar in dance coordination, while G.H.K. Ganesh Hegde worked on the music. The production brought together performers with backgrounds in dance, theatre and other performing arts.

The cast included Kumari Chaithra, Sanjana Rao, Shreya Bhat, Vona, Sivokriti Shetty, Karthik and Bhuvan Manipal. The performers came from varied backgrounds in theatre, dance, music and traditional performance practices, bringing different artistic experiences into the production.

Shikhi marked an important beginning for Kalabhi Productions. Rather than approaching the subject of womanhood through a conventional dramatic narrative, the production attempted to communicate its central idea through the coming together of dance, music and performance. As the first production of Kalabhi Productions, it became the beginning of the organisation’s journey into developing its own original theatrical and artistic works.