Ank, the theatre group founded by the late actor, director and theatre-maker Dinesh Thakur in 1976, completes 50 years on October 1, 2026. To mark this significant milestone, Ank presents STAGE 50 - The Dinesh Thakur Legacy Festival, a celebration of five decades of theatre, featuring a specially curated repertoire of Ank's landmark productions alongside its brand-new 50th-year production, Veera Rani Abbakka - The Queen of the Seas, The Fearless Flame of Ullala.
With 88 productions and more than 7,700 performances across India and abroad, Ank's five-decade journey has been shaped by Dinesh Thakur's unwavering commitment to the stage. From its inception in 1976 until his passing in 2012, Dinesh Thakur remained at the heart of the group's creative journey, leaving behind not only an extensive body of work but also generations of actors and theatre practitioners whom he mentored.
According to a note from the group, STAGE 50 is conceived as both a celebration of this legacy and a continuation of Dinesh Thakur's belief in keeping theatre alive, evolving and accessible to new audiences. The Mumbai festival will bring together some of ANK's landmark productions, including Beewion Ka Madarsa on 17th Oct and Sita Banbas on 1st Nov, alongside the new production Veera Rani Abbakka.
"Completing 50 years of ANK is both a moment of immense pride and a deeply personal responsibility for all of us who have been part of Dineshji's journey. For our 50th year, I wanted to bring to the stage a story that embodies the courage, conviction and spirit of resistance that I believe theatre can keep alive. Rani Abbakka's story stayed with me because she saw the danger of colonial domination at a time when others were willing to compromise. That a woman from a small coastal kingdom could stand up to a powerful foreign force and fight for the sovereignty of her people is a story that deserves to be known, remembered and experienced on stage," says Preeta Mathur Thakur, President, ANK, and Writer, Designer, Director and Actor of Veera Rani Abbakka.
Veera Rani Abbakka brings to the stage the extraordinary story of Rani Abbakka of Ullala, the 16th-century queen of coastal Karnataka who stood against Portuguese expansion and their attempts to control the region's lucrative maritime trade.
At a time when powerful foreign forces were tightening their hold over India's western coast, Abbakka recognised the threat beyond trade and refused to surrender the sovereignty and economic independence of her kingdom. Building her naval strength, forging strategic alliances and employing guerrilla warfare, she led the resistance against the Portuguese and earned the name Abhaya Rani - the Fearless Queen.
The production draws upon the vibrant theatrical traditions of Yakshagana, through which Abbakka's legend has survived across generations, bringing together history, oral tradition, music, movement and spectacle.
For Ank, the choice of Abbakka as its 50th-year production is significant: a story about a woman who refused to compromise, a kingdom determined to protect its independence, and a legacy that deserves to be brought to a new generation of audiences.
The Mumbai celebrations of STAGE 50 will unfold through September and October 2026 at Fine Arts Society Auditorium, Chembur; INT Aditya Birla Theatre, Babulnath; Prithvi Theatre, Juhu; Tata Experimental Theatre, NCPA; and Gadkari Rangayatan, Thane, with performances from Ank's repertoire alongside Veera Rani Abbakka.
The celebrations will extend beyond Mumbai with the Dinesh Thakur Legacy Tour 2026-27, beginning with Sita Banbas on 4 October 2026 at Heggodu village in Karnataka, where Ank will perform for Ninasam (Sri Nilakanteshwara Natyaseva Sangha). The tour will then travel to Jaipur in November, presenting Aapas Ki Baat, Hum Dono and Sita Banbas on 27, 28 and 29 November 2026, respectively. Through the tour, ANK aims to take its repertoire to audiences across the country, collaborate with theatre institutions and local theatre communities, and carry forward Dinesh Thakur's enduring legacy and his vision of creating new audiences for Hindi theatre.
STAGE 50 is therefore not simply a look back at five decades of ANK. It is a celebration of where the group has come from, while creating new stories, new audiences and new possibilities for the future of theatre.
*Mumbai Theatre Guide takes no responsibility for change in schedule.
