Nirmik Fest ’26 in Mumbai on May 30 and 31 with a two-day programme of theatre, film, poetry, music and conversation rooted in resistance and collective imagination. Featuring performances, documentary screenings, talks, and live showcases by artists, filmmakers and community voices, the festival aims to create spaces for dialogue around social justice, identity and community-building across the city.
Nirmik Fest ’26 arrives in Mumbai on May 30 and 31 as more than a cultural festival. Spread across the city, the two-day event promises a coming together of theatre, film, poetry, music and conversation, rooted in resistance, assertion and collective imagination.
Created as a space for voices that challenge dominant narratives and envision alternate futures, Nirmik Fest brings together artists, performers, scholars and community practitioners through a programme that promises both entertainment and political engagement. From plays staged in bastis to documentary screenings and live rap showcases, the festival seeks to create dialogue not just within auditoriums, but across communities.
The festival opens on May 30 with an inaugural ceremony led by activist and transgender rights advocate Disha Pinki Sheikh, setting the tone for a festival invested in questions of social justice and representation.
The opening day also features Jisman, a solo theatrical performance by actor and performer Arjoon Kabir Kakkar, followed by a screening of 'Dr. B R Ambedkar: Now & Then' by filmmaker Jyotinisha. The screening will conclude with a question-and-answer session, giving the audience an opportunity to engage more deeply with the ideas explored in the film and their contemporary relevance. The evening closes with a kirtan performance by Engineer Pawan Maharaj Dawende, bringing devotional expression into conversation with the festival’s broader themes of solidarity and social consciousness.
On May 31, the focus moves toward collective reflection and performance. A talk by Professor Sachin Garud starts off the day’s conversations, while a children’s theatre production by Sarthak Chaskar highlights storytelling as a tool for imagination and learning.
The festival will also screen 'Gail and Bharat' by filmmaker Somnath Waghmare, known for documenting the difficult realities and questions that sit at the intersection of caste, labour, and social justice through cinema. The event concludes with an energetic showcase of stand-up, rap and poetry featuring artists including Mayur Kamble, Gopal Gangawane, Mahi Ghane, Goku, Tiny, and Harish Kamble.
By bringing together theatre, cinema, music and conversation under one roof — and often beyond it — the Nirmik Festival is attempting to build a shared space for questioning, remembering and imagining. In doing so, it offers not just a programme of events, but a reminder of art’s enduring role in building community and making resistance visible.
RSVP to Nirmik Festival at the Nirmik Cultural Center here.
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