The Regional Palette Festival in Dubai: The plays to see

The Regional Palette Festival runs this weekend at the Theatre, Mall of the Emirates. This fest is a dive into various Indian cultures and storytelling traditions. The plays – in Marathi, Guajrati, Bengali and Malayalam – will be performed on July 2 and 3. Tickets start at Dh50.

On July 2, the itinerary is as follows: 2pm Marathi segment (‘Wed(un)lock’ and ‘Tridha’); 4pm Gujarati (‘Hetu’ and ‘Kriya’); 6pm Bengali (‘Mahavidya’ and ‘Mawron Bhomra’); 8pm Malayalam (‘The Island’ and ‘Adrishyan’). On July 3, the segments are as follows: 2pm Gujarati, 4pm Bengali, 6pm Malayalam, and 8pm Marathi. Here's a look at what the shows are about.

MAWRON BHOMRA (SHADOW OF DEATH): This Bengali play based on a short story by Saradindu Bandopadhyay follows three friends out for a stroll as they come across a mysterious stranger who stops for a chat. Does this conversation foreshadow doom?

MAHAVIDYA - THE GREAT WISDOM: Robbers in medieval times stumble across a home that is being burgled by the King! The play, written by Manoj Mitra in Bengali, induces a satirical twist to an otherwise social comedy to relate it to a practical, socio‐ economic dilemma faced by underdeveloped economies.

WED (un)LOCK: When Neha, a pilot, goes to collect her things from the house she shared with her banker ex, Neer, they have a surprise lockdown in store for them. Will this affect their relationship? This Marathi play was written by Dr Milind Vinod.

TRIDHA - THE MUSICAL: In this Marathi musical, also written by Dr Vinod, Megh finds himself trying to figure out who he really loves; there are three contenders of his musical band who symbolize poetess-lyricist, music director and singer.

HETU: A retired police commissioner gets a staff member and a roller-coaster of emotions unfolds in this Gujarati drama by Dr. Shailesh Upadhyay. The other Gujarati drama, by Dr Upadhyay, is 'Kriya'. In an old residential colony in Ahmedabad the death of a resident will highlight the social, financial and practical issues that may collide with traditional practices.

ADRISHYAN: In this Malayalam drama, based on the story ‘Samayam’ by M Nandakumar, a writer facing impending death struggles to finish his work.

THE ISLAND: This play, written by Athol Fugard, is a Malayalam drama that follows the lives of two South African prisoners who have been sentenced for life on a prison on an Island. How will the commuting of one their sentences affect their relationship? Can it survive the test of fortune?