Mohit Mukherjee

Mohit Mukherjee has been a dedicated theatre practitioner in Delhi for almost 16 years. Growing up in Jamshedpur, he harboured a latent interest in the arts, which blossomed during his college years when he realized his passion for theatre. Throughout his career, Mohit has performed in over 35 plays and directed more than 10. Despite financial constraints preventing him from attending an acting school, he honed his skills by working with various directors and theatre groups, including Chingari, Ishara Puppet Trust, Tadpole Repertory, Yellow Cat, Guild of the Goat, Sri Ram Repertory, Toss A Coin, Quasar Padamsee, Barefoot Theatre, and Kaivalya Plays. In 2017, Mohit founded The Play Factory, a natural progression in his journey to share stories. The Play Factory has produced five projects: Murakami Monologues, One BHK, Sleepless, The Patriarch, and Spiral. These productions, mostly original works, explore themes ranging from gender power dynamics and the web of patriarchy in India to the delicate relationship between a mother and daughter. Mohit's theatre work is deeply rooted in authentic storytelling and sparking larger conversations. His performances are intimate, usually for an audience of 50, and followed by discussions that focus on the content rather than the craft, helping him unlearn, relearn, and realign his perspectives with society. Mohit was part of Writers Bloc with the Royal Court and Rage Productions for the play "Still and Still Moving." He has graced the stages of many prestigious theatre festivals, including the Satyadev Dubey Theatre Festival in Pune, the Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa, ITFOK in Kerala, the Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival in Bangalore, the NCPA Theatre Festival in Mumbai, Old World Theatre Festival in Delhi, the IFA Theatre Festival in Bangalore, and the META Theatre Festival in Delhi, among others. As a light designer, he travelled with an ICCR-empanelled artist to South Korea for the Sarang Festival, visiting eight cities as part of an outgoing cultural delegation. In recent years, Mohit has used theatre to engage with the broader community, moving away from performing in front of large audiences. He believes that theatre practitioners should not place themselves on a pedestal but rather create inclusive spaces for everyone with an interest in theatre. Through programs like Scrabble with Strangers, Strasbourg, and Immersive Storytelling, he has fostered low-stakes spaces that ensure a sense of community. During the lockdown, Mohit initiated The Quarantine Monologues, which ran for two seasons. This platform allowed anyone to record a story or monologue and share it through their channel, providing a cathartic outlet for artists and a means to connect through shared struggles and resilience. In addition to his theatre work, Mohit has been a theatre teacher for 12 years, heading the Arts Department at Vasant Valley School for a few years now. Working with students keeps him on his toes and helps him stay relevant. Many of his performance ideas have emerged from the design labs of his school or conversations with his students.