Yayaver Rangmandal: An Introduction
Yayaver Rangmandal was founded in 1991 by writer, actor, and director Jetendra Mittal. The repertory presents the rich traditions of Indian theatre while engaging with social concerns and innovative theatrical experimentation. It regularly and project-wise collaborates with trained graduates and seasoned cultural practitioners from premier institutions such as the National School of Drama, Bhartendu Natya Academy, Bhatkhande Music Institute, and the College of Fine Arts. These collaborations have established Yayaver Rangmandal as a source of inspiration for theatre practitioners across the region and have positioned it as a leading force in the state’s contemporary theatre practice.
Achievements of Yayaver Rangmandal
- Yayaver Script Bank Seva – India’s only unique initiative of its kind.
- Popular Productions – Sssss… Century Buddha (91 shows), Turoop Chaal (8 shows), Saleem Sherwani Ki Shaadi (24 shows).
- Prison Cultural Workshop (1986) – “Roshni Ki Dahleez” with life-term inmates; public performances at Rai Umanath Bali Auditorium.
- International Children’s Theatre Festival (1998) – Performance of Kaante Boaye Babool Ke To in Delhi (Denmark–NIPA collaboration).
- Kargil War (Operation Vijay) – 54 street plays daily; contribution to the Army Welfare Fund.
- Children’s Arts & Theatre Activities – Over 243 workshops since 1993.
- Natya Utsav Series – Major memorial theatre festivals held between 1995–2017.
- Children’s Theatre Festival – Annual event since 1996.
- 900+ performances across major cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Shillong, Raipur, Jammu, and more.
- Showcasing premier productions from renowned institutions like NSD, Padatik Kolkata, Asmita Delhi, Vivchana Jabalpur, Rangkarmee Kolkata, etc.
- Organ Donation Awareness Play “Mrityu… Paridhi Aur Kendra” – 110 performances across India.
- Socially Relevant Theatre – Plays on cleanliness, AIDS awareness, pollution, Ganga conservation, drought, and health initiatives.
- Railway Safety Campaign – 640 performances of Ae Bhai Zara Dekh Ke Chalo at unmanned railway crossings.
About the Founder Director
Jetendra Kumar Mittal
Jetendra Mittal was a renowned playwright and theater personality. He received training from the Bhartendu Natya Kendra in 1977 and was honored with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1999. He wrote many popular plays, including ‘Mantrimandal,’ ‘Pyada,’ ‘Bachpan,’ ‘Nangi Aawazen,’ ‘Apne-Apne Aftab,’ among others. These plays were not only published but were also staged multiple times. His contribution to the field of direction was also significant. He directed many major plays, such as ‘Koi Naam Nahin,’ ‘Turup Ka Ikka,’ ‘Bikharti Aakritiyan,’ ‘Pair Tale Ki Zameen,’ ‘Dhai Akshar Prem Ka,’ ‘Shee… Century Budha,’ and others. His contribution to children’s theater was also noteworthy. He wrote and staged ‘Natkhat Murga,’ which was awarded a national award. Alongside his government service, he wrote more than 250 scripts for Doordarshan and produced 60 children’s films. He was also active in social service – he conducted workshops in prisons and created special plays for organ donation, which were performed 99 times across the country.
Jetendra Mittal was the founder of Yayavar Rangmandal and he started a professional play series in Lucknow, which attracted the general public to theatre. His contributions were also recognized with various awards, such as the Rangyatra Samman (1998) and the B.M. Shah Award (1999).
Jetendra Mittal contributed to presenting social issues, human emotions, and realistic themes effectively through theatre. His work demonstrates that theatre is not just stage acting, but also the creation of sensitive thought and collective consciousness.
With Yayavar Rangmandal, Jetendra Mittal’s role extends the tradition of theatre that connects art to society and compels the audience to reflect. His contribution is seen as an important link in the rich tradition of Hindi theatre.
Jetendra Mittal was the founder of Yayavar Rangmandal and he started a professional play series in Lucknow, which attracted the general public to theatre. His contributions were also recognized with various awards, such as the Rangyatra Samman (1998) and the B.M. Shah Award (1999).
Jetendra Mittal contributed to presenting social issues, human emotions, and realistic themes effectively through theatre. His work demonstrates that theatre is not just stage acting, but also the creation of sensitive thought and collective consciousness.
With Yayavar Rangmandal, Jetendra Mittal’s role extends the tradition of theatre that connects art to society and compels the audience to reflect. His contribution is seen as an important link in the rich tradition of Hindi theatre.
About the Director
Punit Mittal
Punit Mittal is a visionary theatre artist who transforms movement into a profound vocabulary of storytelling. With more than a decade of dedicated work in physical theatre, movement research, and dance-drama, he creates performances that are not simply witnessed but absorbed, lived, and remembered.
From intimate studio explorations to expansive theatrical landscapes, his direction blends
precision with poetic imagination. Each creation emerges from his core belief that the human body is the most honest instrument of expression on stage, capable of revealing truths that words often cannot.
Rooted in physical theatre, contemporary movement language, and embodied drama, Punit weaves gesture, rhythm, breath, and space into narratives that resonate at a visceral level. His staging goes beyond conventional theatre, where characters don’t merely speak their stories; they inhabit them, breathe through them, and uncover their inner worlds through the dynamic interplay of body and emotion.
As the Director of Yayaver Rangmandal, he leads performers into a realm of
exploration, encouraging them to break patterns, discover new movement vocabularies, and embrace the transformative power of physical expression. His rehearsal spaces become laboratories of imagination, where experimentation gives birth to authentic, courageous storytelling.
Punit’s productions extend far beyond entertainment. They invite reflection, stir the subconscious, and create theatrical experiences that echo in the mind and body long after the lights fade. His work stands as a testament to theatre that is alive, immersive, and deeply human
From intimate studio explorations to expansive theatrical landscapes, his direction blends
precision with poetic imagination. Each creation emerges from his core belief that the human body is the most honest instrument of expression on stage, capable of revealing truths that words often cannot.
Rooted in physical theatre, contemporary movement language, and embodied drama, Punit weaves gesture, rhythm, breath, and space into narratives that resonate at a visceral level. His staging goes beyond conventional theatre, where characters don’t merely speak their stories; they inhabit them, breathe through them, and uncover their inner worlds through the dynamic interplay of body and emotion.
As the Director of Yayaver Rangmandal, he leads performers into a realm of
exploration, encouraging them to break patterns, discover new movement vocabularies, and embrace the transformative power of physical expression. His rehearsal spaces become laboratories of imagination, where experimentation gives birth to authentic, courageous storytelling.
Punit’s productions extend far beyond entertainment. They invite reflection, stir the subconscious, and create theatrical experiences that echo in the mind and body long after the lights fade. His work stands as a testament to theatre that is alive, immersive, and deeply human
About Head of Rangmandal
Mohammad Hafeez
Mohammad Hafeez is a distinguished Indian theatre director, actor, and theatre technology specialist, with over four decades of extensive experience in the performing arts. Beginning his professional journey in the late 1970s, he has emerged as a leading mentor in the fields of acting, technical theatre, and actor training.
Since 1980, he has directed more than 50 theatre productions and performed in over 150 stage presentations. He is widely respected for his advanced expertise in stage lighting and technical design, having conceptualized and executed lighting designs for more than 5,000 theatre productions, dance dramas, ballets, puppet shows, and large-scale cultural events.
A committed educator, Mohammad Hafeez has been conducting performance-oriented
children’s theatre workshops for schools and institutions since 1991. He has also led a 40-day intensive theatre workshop at Lucknow Central Jail with inmates serving life sentences, during which he directed the play Jiski Laathi Bhains Usi Ki, demonstrating the transformative power of theatre in social rehabilitation.
His professional contributions extend to cinema and television as well. He has worked in notable films including Road to Sangam, Ishqzaade, Bullet Raja, Lucknavi Ishq, and T for Taj Mahal, and has contributed to numerous television serials and telefilms.
In recognition of his lifelong contribution to theatre and the performing arts, he has been
honored with several prestigious awards, including the Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Manchakriti Samman, Tulsi Samman, Late Suresh Dalwani Memorial Award, Yuva Pratishthan Award, and the Mitwa Theatre Award.
Through Yayavar Rangmandal, Mohammad Hafeez continues to mentor and inspire generations of artists, upholding a rich legacy of discipline, creative excellence, and service to the stage, where theatre is regarded not merely as performance, but as a profound medium of truth, dedication, and social responsibility
Since 1980, he has directed more than 50 theatre productions and performed in over 150 stage presentations. He is widely respected for his advanced expertise in stage lighting and technical design, having conceptualized and executed lighting designs for more than 5,000 theatre productions, dance dramas, ballets, puppet shows, and large-scale cultural events.
A committed educator, Mohammad Hafeez has been conducting performance-oriented
children’s theatre workshops for schools and institutions since 1991. He has also led a 40-day intensive theatre workshop at Lucknow Central Jail with inmates serving life sentences, during which he directed the play Jiski Laathi Bhains Usi Ki, demonstrating the transformative power of theatre in social rehabilitation.
His professional contributions extend to cinema and television as well. He has worked in notable films including Road to Sangam, Ishqzaade, Bullet Raja, Lucknavi Ishq, and T for Taj Mahal, and has contributed to numerous television serials and telefilms.
In recognition of his lifelong contribution to theatre and the performing arts, he has been
honored with several prestigious awards, including the Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Manchakriti Samman, Tulsi Samman, Late Suresh Dalwani Memorial Award, Yuva Pratishthan Award, and the Mitwa Theatre Award.
Through Yayavar Rangmandal, Mohammad Hafeez continues to mentor and inspire generations of artists, upholding a rich legacy of discipline, creative excellence, and service to the stage, where theatre is regarded not merely as performance, but as a profound medium of truth, dedication, and social responsibility
