India, June 21 -- In a Marathi theatre landscape often defined by the box office, two plays -- 'Shivaji Underground in Bhimnagar Mohalla' and 'Sangeet Devbhabhli' -- have defied the status quo, carving out a decade-long legacy of radical and soulful storytelling as they march confidently towards their landmark 1000th show.

First the commonalities - the two plays have been achieving something rare for the past decade or so: they have walked out of the drawing room and into the open air. They do not merely entertain; they demand an awakening. While 'Shivaji Underground in Bhimnagar Mohalla', is a polemical, radical interrogation of history, 'Sangeet Devbhabhli' is a delicate, musical inquiry into the lives of two women left behind by the m...