Bengali play 'Nihsango Ishwar' wins five META awards

The Bengali play "Nihsango Ishwar" shone brightly at the 20th Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META 2025), winning five awards out of 13 categories. The production took home honors for best original script, best stage design, and best actor in a lead role, awarded to Suman Saha. The awards ceremony capped off a week-long festival that began on March 13. "Nihsango Ishwar," directed by Saha, explores the final day of Lord Krishna's life, set after the Kurukshetra battle. The play also won awards for best supporting role, given to Chandrani Sarkar, and best production. Another play, "Swang: Jas ki Tas," received the best director award for Akshay Singh Thakur and also won for best sound and music design. Meanwhile, it secured best actor in a supporting role for Abhishek Gautam. This Hindi and Bundeli musical drama was noted for its humor and social commentary. Two plays, "Chandaa Bedni" and "Swang: Jas ki Tas," shared the best ensemble award. "Chandaa Bedni" also grabbed awards for best choreography, best light design, and best actor in a lead role, awarded to Ranjini Ghosh. The award for best costume design went to Rajeshwari Kodagu from the Kannada play "Dashanana Swapnasiddhi." This year's META featured ten nominated plays selected from over 350 entries in various languages. Jay Shah from Mahindra emphasized the creativity and storytelling in this year's winners, highlighting their impact on Indian theatre. The award jury included respected names like actor Lillete Dubey and filmmaker Sudhir Mishra. The ceremony also honored writer Shanta Gokhale with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her extensive contributions to Indian literature and theatre.