Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra's Krishna Marks 50 Years This Janmashtami
The event will run August 29th to September 4th, 2026.
Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra (SBKK) will present the 50th year of its landmark dance drama KRISHNA from August 29 to Janmashtami, Friday, September 4, 2026, at Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi. Shows run daily at 6:30 PM, with 3:00 PM matinees on August 30 and September 4. Staged every Janmashtami season, KRISHNA is among the Kendra's most revered productions.
Conceptualised initially by Smt. Sumitra Charat Ram as Krishna Avtar, the production is directed by Padmashri Shobha Deepak Singh (Chairman, Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra) and choreographed by Shashidharan Nair, with choreographic support from Raj Kumar Sharma.
It traces Krishna from Gokul and Vrindavan, his bond with Radha and his defeat of Kansa, to his role in the Mahabharata and his dialogue with Arjuna at Kurukshetra — presenting divinity within human complexity through restraint, forgiveness, duty and moral choice.
Set on a battlefield, the Bhagavad Gita becomes a message about peace and responsible action that endures far beyond its historical setting.
Reflecting on the decades of the KRISHNA production, Shobhaji says “For fifty years, KRISHNA has let each generation see the same story through its own questions. My hope is that young audiences find something of their own lives in it,”
Moving beyond earlier presentations, KRISHNA now forgoes LED screens and digital backdrops, instead relying on handcrafted sets and live stage design to create the physical scale and richness central to its identity. Guided by Vice Chairperson Smt. Gauri Keeling, with the able support from Working Trustee Minaakshi S. Dass and Production Manager Monika Jetwani, this dance narrative from now on will be presented in its distinctive style through impressive in-house handcrafted costumes & jewellery and special sets & light design.
Reflecting on the milestone and the enduring journey of KRISHNA, Jayant Kastuar, Director, SBKK, says, “The Kendra's productions have remained firmly rooted in Indian traditions, consciously avoiding Bollywood-style spectacle and creating grandeur through classical dance, music and craftsmanship.”
The score draws largely on Bhakti style compositions, with lyrics largely from Surdas's Sur Sagar sung in the original Brij Bhasha. Throughout, the storyline presents Krishna as a protector of rural communities and a hero of the people before he is a God.
Running 2 hours 20 minutes including an interval, KRISHNA is presented by the Kendra Dance Repertory, SBKK, part of the institution's seven-decade commitment to India's cultural traditions.
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