India-wide Release, 20th April 2026: Following the success of its season opener, Aadyam Theatre, an initiative by the Aditya Birla Group, presents its second production, Dil Ka Haal Sune Dilwala. A tender, playful adaptation infused with music, humour, and theatrical flair, the play is based on Sarah Ruhl’s Dead Man’s Cellphone and reimagines the story …
India-wide Release, 20th April 2026: Following the success of its season opener, Aadyam Theatre, an initiative by the Aditya Birla Group, presents its second production, Dil Ka Haal Sune Dilwala. A tender, playful adaptation infused with music, humour, and theatrical flair, the play is based on Sarah Ruhl’s Dead Man’s Cellphone and reimagines the story within the pulse and texture of Mumbai.
Directed by Mohit Takalkar, the play will premiere at Kamani Auditorium, Delhi, with three shows across May 16 and 17, 2026, before coming to Mumbai for performances at Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir on May 30 and 31, 2026, and at Nehru Centre on July 25 and 26, 2026.
At a tiny Mumbai café, Asha Parekh, a struggling actress from Surat, spends her days waiting tables, when one afternoon, she answers the ringing phone of a man who has just died. What begins as an innocent act soon draws her into the many lives he leaves behind, a world of fragile truths, shifting identities, and unexpected connections.
As Asha continues to take his calls, she begins to speak in his place, offering comfort, dodging questions, and often inventing stories. Through these borrowed conversations, she moves through a city that is restless and intimate at once, from crowded temples and narrow lanes to quiet seafronts, encountering people and situations that are awkward, strange, and darkly comic.
With a narrator and live music shaping her journey, the play unfolds through fragments, rhythm, and memory. Beneath its humour lies a quiet reckoning of the roles we inhabit and the stories we tell ourselves. In losing herself in someone else’s life, Asha begins, unexpectedly, to confront her own.
The production features a dynamic ensemble, led by Dilnaz Irani as Asha Parekh, along with Vrajesh Hirjee, Faezah Jalali, Sagar Deshmukh, and Bhaskar Sharma.
“It has been a while since I directed something this playful. When I came across Sarah Ruhl’s Dead Man’s Cellphone, I was immediately drawn to its absurdity that also carries a hint of tenderness. So, Dil Ka Haal Sune Dilwala felt like a gift. While it is funny and chaotic on the surface, it quietly explores how we search for connection, forgiveness, and belonging – sometimes in the most unexpected ways.”
— Mohit Takalkar
Takalkar is a widely regarded theatre director with a body of work spanning over two decades. Since his early production of Girish Karnad’s Yayati in 1999, he has directed more than 35 plays across Marathi, English, Urdu, Kannada, and Marwari. His notable works include Comrade Kumbhkarana, Love and Information, and Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta. In addition to theatre, his film credits include Medium Spicy, The Bright Day, and Toh, Ti, Aani Fuji, among others.
With Dil Ka Haal Sune Dilwala, Aadyam Theatre continues its exploration of bold, contemporary storytelling – this time through a form that is as entertaining as it is tender and thought-provoking.
Play Details
- 📍 Where: Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir, Bandra
- 📅 Date & Time: May 30 & 31, 2026 | 4:00 pm and 7:30 pm
- 🔗 Ticket Link: BookMyShow
- 🎟️ Ticket Price: ₹500 onwards
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