Born on June 21, 1968, Atul Kumar runs “The Company Theatre”, a Mumbai based theatre group that has won acclaim for its plays in India as well as in other foreign countries. Atul graduated from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (New Delhi) in French language, culture, literature, history and civilization. Since the late eighties, he has directed as well as acted in many plays.

In 1987, he directed THE RESPECTABLE PROSTITUTE, a play by Sartre and 2004 saw him directing Rahee Dahake’s SMELL for the Writers’ Bloc Festival that took place in Mumbai. As an actor, he has performed in plays written by playwrights such as Moliere, Harold Pinter, Girish Karnad and others.

Atul has also translated a few plays into Hindi such as Moliere’s TARTUFFE and Ionesco’s THE CHAIRS. He also has performed and trained in countries such as France, the US, the UK and Canada. His Indian classical theatre training includes having practiced the Kathakali classical theatre-dance in Kerala for three years and in having trained in Kalerippayattu-the martial art of Kerala.

He has received many awards and honours such as the Charles Wallace scholarship that enabled him to do a summer residency program at the Royal Court Theatre in London and to visit the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Atul has worked in other media too such as the television and film.

His Company Theatre, which he runs with the help of Sheeba Chadha is also known for other ancillary work in the theatre such as the planning and conducting of theatre workshops, conferences, working with young people, collaborating with international groups, etc. Details of this theatre group’s activities are available in the “Theatre Groups” section of our site.