One Night At An “Intellectual Centre!”

So, what comes to your mind when you hear ‘Prithvi Theatre’? 

A bunch of young struggling actors trying to get that one big break of their life? Or a crowded house full of intellectuals, striking up smart conversations? Or it brings to your mind nothing but the likes of Raj Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah and Boman Irani?

Prithvi Theatre is indeed much more than just that. I fell in love blindly and happily with the welcoming ambience on my very first evening at Prithvi. Staying in Mumbai for almost twenty years now had already acquainted me with the thespian finesse that the place has produced over the decades. To visit it was one of the myriad dreams that I nurtured for years. And it was the evening when my dream was about to come true, finally.

My first encounter with Prithvi was months back when I visited the theatre to watch the Peter Shaffer play, ‘Equus’ performed by a group of talented and creative enthusiasts. The excitement was inconceivable and I reached ‘THE PRITHVI THEATRE– The center of theatrical intelligentsia.’ I was welcomed by the classy lounge…Oh! I discovered later it was popularly called the Prithvi Café where often various book clubs have their private reading sessions and discussions. Moreover, you can simply grab a book or plug in the earphone, sit there and relax. I assure you from my personal experience...nobody will ever break your train of thoughts. So Prithvi gifts you the freedom of indulging in your thoughts for as long as you wish to.

Now, the time came to enter the theatre.

It’s not like one of those huge halls or auditoriums where there are enormous speakers installed at every nook and cranny and your ears are treated with the artificially processed voices of the artists. Here, it’s a cosy little auditorium where you have the liberty to sit wherever you wish to and you get to hear the unadulterated vocals creating magic for hours. The experience is like sitting next to the cream of theater under the same roof without discriminations. And, when the stage is set and the final whistle is blown, for the next couple of hours, the actors desire and indeed deserve your undivided attention. And, guess what? They do not ask for it, they simply command it with their splendiferous repertoires.

The performances are so memorable that even when the lights go off with the conclusion, you still wish for more. 


The Prithvi hangover tends to stay on longer than you expect it to stay. Eversince my first visit, I have made Prithvi my favorite escape and hang out. Everytime I feel low, I find myself browsing through the books at the small yet interesting Prithvi Book Shop…Everytime am truly happy, I wish to go to the prithvi lounge and sit there for hours… and as my culture studies professor puts it, there are indeed some of the cutest guys visiting the theater, so people, if plays and books do not interest you and you find no reason to visit the place, here’s the reason for you. Indeed, the Sulaimani chai over there is awesome and refreshing. Now, ‘Sulaimani Chai’ is a separate story altogether so I prefer saving it for another post, another day.

The simple understatement is that if you are a Mumbaikar or you are visiting Mumbai and wish to see one of the most prestigious possessions of Mumbai, do not ever miss THE PRITHVI THEATRE. Nowhere else will you find the perfect amalgamation of fun along with the overflowing talent which succeeds in casting a spell on you again and again.