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A new voice is set to join Dubai’s growing independent arts and culture scene as creative collective Katha Sutra makes its public debut with O Sakhi: Her Voice in Verse and Song—an original bilingual production that weaves together storytelling, Hindi poetry and live music to revisit the stories of women from India’s epics.
Taking place on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Live@Play in Al Quoz, O Sakhi invites audiences to step beyond the familiar narratives of India’s epics and encounter the women within them through their own voices, experiences and inner worlds.
At the heart of the production are figures including Gargi, Sita, Kaikeyi, Draupadi and Mirabai—women whose stories have travelled across generations, yet whose perspectives are often overshadowed by the larger narratives surrounding them. Through spoken narrative, evocative Hindi poetry and live music, O Sakhi creates space for their questions, contradictions, resilience, longing and agency.
Rather than presenting a conventional theatrical retelling or a modernised reinterpretation, O Sakhi draws on India’s long-standing tradition of returning to inherited stories and viewing them through new lenses. The production asks audiences to encounter these narratives while remaining connected to the literary, cultural and devotional traditions from which they emerged.
Katha Sutra was founded by three Dubai-based women whose professional lives span banking, marketing and the energy sector. Kamala Iyer, a banker, fintech consultant, designer and storyteller, will serve as the Sutradhar, guiding audiences through the production. Priyanka Raman, a marketing professional and classically trained singer in the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions, will perform the music. Surabhi Joshi, an oil trader, poet and performer, has written and will perform the Hindi poetry.
The production’s artistic approach is deliberately cross-disciplinary. Joshi’s poetry will be interwoven with Raman’s music, which draws on classical, folk, bhakti and contemporary traditions, while Iyer’s storytelling will connect the individual narratives and guide the audience through the performance.
Presented in English and Hindi, the approximately 100-minute production is designed as an immersive combination of storytelling, poetry and live music rather than a conventional concert, staged play or lecture. Its format reflects Katha Sutra’s aim to create accessible performances that connect literary and musical traditions with contemporary audiences in Dubai. Katha Sutra takes its name and inspiration from the idea of connecting stories and traditions across time.
Tickets are available at Platinumlist: https://dubai
platinumlist.net/event-tickets/107805/o-sakhi-her-voice-in-verse-and-song