Vilas Janve & Kiran Janve (Humour)

Vilas Janve is a distinguished Indian mime artist and director, trained under Padmashri Niranjan Goswami and a recipient of the Senior Fellowship Award. His practice includes innovative mime productions and adaptations of Rabindranath Tagore’s poetry. He has worked extensively with hearing-impaired children and jail inmates, and is also an accomplished playwright and director. Closely associated with Udaipur Tales since its inception, he will perform with his wife, Kiran Janve, in a collaborative mime presentation.The Freedom Bird: A fearless Hunter ventures deep into the forest, only to encounter a bird so extraordinary, it changes his life forever. But here’s the twist—you’re not just here to listen; you’re part of the adventure!

Gouri Nilakantan (Fantasy)

Gouri Nilkantan Mehta is a seasoned theatre professional with dual master’s degrees and 30+ years of experience. She has directed and designed 145+ plays and received prestigious awards from St. Stephen’s and Miami University. As Artistic Director of PACT, she leads major creative initiatives, represents India globally, and publishes widely on theatre.

Rajesh Shinde (Bengali Folk Tales)

Rajesh Shinde, known as Kathaasur, blends theatre, folk rhythms and vibrant energy to create immersive storytelling experiences. From his accidental start at his son’s school, he has performed across schools, NGOs and festivals like TRAMJATRA. A filmmaker, theatre actor and voice artist on platforms like Amazon Suno and Spotify, he brings stories that make children laugh, imagine and engage.

Mayur Kalbag (Mystical)

An internationally acclaimed Management and Leadership Coach, Mayur Kalbag is a powerhouse of creativity and inspiration. A bestselling, award-winning author of Aghori: An Untold Story and Aghori: The Untold Story Continues, he seamlessly blends the corporate, creative and spiritual worlds.
A poet, percussionist, abstract artist and an ardent chanter of Sanskrit stotrams, Mayur’s multifaceted persona reflects his deep passion for transformation — of self and society alike.

Maia Ganatra (African Folklore)

Maia Ganatra is a storyteller from Tanzania, educator and traveller who began her journey in 2009 after training at the Emerson School of Storytelling, UK. She has performed across Africa and India, sharing world tales with a local flavour, especially for adults seeking wonder, imagination and magic through stories.

Divy Nidhi Sharma (Contemporary)

The script writer of ‘Sitare Zameen Par’ and dialogues of ‘ Lapata Ladies’.As a scriptwriter, lyricist and poet he is known for television shows like Heeramandi, Anupama, Imlie and Aashiqana. He has won the Screenwriters Association and Indian Television Academy Awards for his work.

Rajit Kapur (Satirical Drama)

Rajit Kapur is a renowned Indian actor, director, and producer known for his versatile work across theater, film, and television. He is celebrated for his iconic role as Byomkesh Bakshi and his National Award-winning portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi in “The Making of the Mahatma”. Kapur is also a co-founder of the contemporary Indian theatre company Rage Productions.

Sanjukta Sinha (Classical Fusion Dance)

Shifting Sands brings to life the story of Kathak itself – a form born from the wandering kathakas who once narrated tales in temple courtyards. Presented by the Sanjukta Sinha Dance Company, this traces Kathak’s evolution from the temples, through the Mughal courts, to the modern Shifting Sands becomes a living narrative where tradition meets modernity, and storytelling flows from past to present.
Choreography : Sanjukta Sinha

Shona Malhotra (Comic)

Shona Malhotra is a skilled storyteller and artist, founder of the Clever Cookies Club for Children. She’s passionate about voice modulation, engaging narratives, and life skills workshops, Believing in the power of emotional intelligence. A bookworm, Shona loves black coffee and spending time with kids, animals and birds.

Colonel Rajinder Kumar Sharma (Valour)

A distinguished Army veteran with decades of leadership and strategic service. Renowned for his expertise in security management, crisis response, and organizational discipline. A passionate storyteller, he brings real-life military experiences to audiences with depth and inspiration. He continues to inspire through his work in training, mentorship, storytelling, and public engagement.

Danish Husain (Kissebazi)

Danish Husain is a celebrated theatre director, actor, poet and storyteller who revived Dastangoi. Founder of Qissebaazi and The Hoshruba Repertory, he has directed and performed acclaimed plays, and acted in Films like Peepli Live, Newton, Manto and series like Bombay Begums and Tanaav.

Arif Zakaria (Romantic)

Arif Zakaria is a versatile Indian actor across film, theatre and television. Known for 1947: Earth, My Name is Khan, Raazi and Mastaney, he began in theatre and has also performed globally in Merchants of Bollywood. His career reflects powerful, nuanced performances across genres and mediums.

Meiyang Chang (Independent Music)

Meiyang Chang is an actor, singer, TV host and dentist who rose to fame as an Indian Idol finalist. Known for Badmaash Company, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! Sultan and series like Asur, he blends music, hosting and acting with charm and versati

Geetika Lidder (Biopic)

Geetika Lidder, a fourth-generation armed forces family member, is an educator, writer and Vice Principal at The Shri Ram School, Delhi. With 25+ years across diverse sectors, she authored I Am a Soldier’s Wife. She enjoys music, poetry, reading, writing and cooking as her creative outlets.

Jyoti Pande (Classical epic)

Jyoti is a renowned storyteller, psychologist, and transformational coach with 30+ years of experience.She blends storytelling with psychology to help people rewrite their life stories and has impacted over 30,000 Army families.Through “Soul Katha,” she leads powerful workshops and retreats for teachers, corporates, Army officers, and women.

Mikka Chesno (Reflective)

Mikka Chesno was born in Zimbabwe and is a recent Fine Arts graduate of Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem. She lives and works in Jerusalem. Painting stories is at the core of her practice, which explores themes of polyamory, death, pleasure, humour, and mythology. Through vivid, vibrating colour, her paintings question boundaries between human figures, animals, and their environments. Inspired by her artistic family and the wild nature of South Africa, these influences continue to shape the emotional and visual language of her work.

Jail Band (Independent Music)

Out of the Box was formed in 2018 at Swaraj Jail University, initiated by Manish Jain and Dikan Patel. I later joined the team as a musician and trainer, working with inmates who came to learn music. Some had prior experience, while others learned from scratch, mastering instruments such as guitar, vocals, tabla, dholak, keyboard, and harmonium. In 2019, the band performed at the World Music Festival, a defining moment that strengthened its journey. The band continues to be run by Swaraj Jail University. Its unique character lies in its ever-changing members, as no one in jail is permanent—making each performance truly out of the box.

Prithwiraj Choudhury (Slice of life)

Prithwiraj Choudhury, General Manager at Universal Music, holds master’s degrees in English literature and mass communication from JNU. Alongside marketing music, he writes short stories and poetry, acts occasionally in theatre and celebrates the tradition of oral storytelling. A regular performer at Mumbai’s “Kahaanikar,” he entertains audiences with his quirky, humorous take on life and love.

Divya Dutta (Auto biographical)

Divya Dutta is an Indian film actress, model and author known for her work in Bollywood, Punjabi, and other Indian-language films. She has won numerous awards, including a National Film Award and IIFA Awards for her performances in movies like Veer Zaara, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, and Delhi-6. Beyond acting, she is an author of the bestseller Me and Ma and a social worker associated with organizations like UNICEF.

Vijay Kumar (Satire)

A National School of Drama graduate, he further trained at FTII and the Central School of Speech and Drama, London.
He has performed over 900 shows of Hum Bihar Mein Chunav Lad Rahe Hain in India and abroad. He has directed more than 40 acclaimed plays across genres. His works have featured at Sahitya Kala Parishad’s Best Plays Festival and NSD’s Bharat Rang Mahotsav.
He is also active as a theatre trainer, conducting workshops and working with NSD’s extension program.

Aanchal Shrivastava (Sufi Qawwali)

Yatra with Aanchal is not just a concert, but an intimate, soul-stirring experience. Led by Mumbai-based Aanchal Shrivastava, the show blends Indian Sufi and folk music with poetic storytelling. She has lent her soulful voice to “Din Shagna Da” in Four More Shots Please! and the haunting thumri “Doobi Tujh Mein Piya,” which she also wrote and composed. Yatra brings back the true essence of Sufism — surrender, stillness and inner reflection. The set features works of poets like Khusrau, Bulleh Shah, Meera, and Kabir, presented through music and stories.