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 NMACC presents MEHEK By Aditi Mangaldas & Aakash Odedra Grand Theatre, 7.30pm April 11, 2026 Mumbai Feb 17, 2026  Winner of the 2024 UK Theatre Award for Achievement in Dance, this daring Kathak - contemporary duet navigates an unspoken relationship, trading vulnerability, restraint, and desire in a quietly charged encounter. Placing emotional honesty at its core, 'MEHEK' brings together two stellar artists - Aditi Mangaldas & Aakash Odedra - united across generations. Centered on a relationship seldom acknowledged, between a mature woman and a younger man, the choreography unfolds through proximity, vulnerability, doubt, and attentive physicality. Mangaldas brings five decades of classical rigour and contemporary exploration to the performance. Odedra's movement - precise, fluid, and deeply expressive - draws from both classical discipline and modern influences. Together, they create moments "where their fluidity elevates them into oneness," writes A Young(ish) Perspective, UK. MEHEK will be presented by the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, at the iconic Grand Theatre, Mumbai on April 11, 2026 at 7:30 pm. The performance moves beyond traditional Kathak structures, allowing pauses, mirrors, and reflective space to speak as powerfully as movement itself. Staging and design are integral to the work - Fabiana Piccioli's lighting accentuates subtle emotional shifts, Tina Tzoka's set reflects the mirrored intimacy of the duet and the original score by Nicki Wells, alongside compositions by Ashish Gangani, Faraz Ahmed, and Hiren Chate, heightens tension and resonance. Gangani, Ahmed, Chate, and Wells perform live, weaving rhythm and melody into the dancers' physical dialogue. The Times, UK celebrates this collaboration as "intoxicating…exhilarating…immediately captivating." " ...Aditi showed why she is rightfully considered one of the greatest of all time", "... Aakash demonstrated why he is one of the finest British Asian dancers of all time," raves Eastern Eye, UK about the two dancers. The dramaturgy by Karthika Naïr and the guidance of rehearsal director Gaurav Bhatti ensure that every gesture is deliberate, measured, and emotionally precise. Special thanks and much gratitude to the Project Director Sangeeta Rana for her perseverance in bringing MEHEK to India at the NMACC. For Mangaldas, 'MEHEK' is her first full length duet in a storied career; for Odedra, it deepens his exploration into the meeting of tradition and the present. Together, Mangaldas and Odedra allow a love story often left unseen to bloom with clarity, dignity, and restraint, leaving an emotional fragrance, as suggested by the title—'MEHEK'. MEHEK is created by Aakash Odedra Company and Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company & The Drishtikon Dance Foundation, co-produced by The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, and co-commissioned by Sadler's Wells, London, The Lowry (Salford), Birmingham Hippodrome, and the Bagri Foundation, UK. Box office Info: info@aditimangaldasdance.com |
