Symphony Orchestra Of India, Aditi Mangaldas Join Forces For NCPA-Commissioned Production

The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) will present the world premiere of The Absence of PRESENCE, an interdisciplinary production featuring the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI) and acclaimed dancer and choreographer Aditi Mangaldas, on October 31 and November 1, 2026, at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre in Mumbai.

Commissioned by the NCPA and produced by the Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company and the Drishtikon Dance Foundation, the production combines live symphonic music, contemporary dance rooted in Kathak, poetry and visual art to explore the suffering of children affected by conflict, the consequences of collective silence and the possibility of hope and resilience.

The approximately 75-minute production, presented without an interval, addresses a central question: what happens to humanity when people remain silent in the face of violence? Rather than focusing on a particular conflict, the work seeks to examine the universal human response to suffering and the responsibility to acknowledge it.

The production brings together the SOI’s orchestral sound with Mangaldas’ distinctive movement vocabulary. Its original score has been composed by Indian-origin British composer and multidisciplinary artist Rushil Ranjan, whose work spans concert music, film, dance and cultural storytelling. Drawing on both Hindustani and Western classical traditions, the score aims to create a musical dialogue between symphonic composition and Kathak.

Musicians Faraz Ahmed and Ashish Gangani, who come from a multigenerational Indian classical music lineage, also contribute to the production. Sculptor Manish Kansara adds a visual dimension to the work, with poetry forming another part of its artistic narrative.

Khushroo N. Suntook, Chairman of the NCPA and Co-Founder of the SOI, said the production marks a significant step for the orchestra, moving beyond the interpretation of established repertoire towards creating original work.

“The Absence of PRESENCE is both emotionally challenging and artistically ambitious. It is not simply a dance production, nor merely a symphonic performance; it is a work of art that speaks to the world we live in today — a world capable of both compassion and cruelty,” Suntook said.

He added that the collaboration reflects the NCPA’s ambition to develop original, contemporary and artistically challenging productions while opening audiences to new ways of experiencing music, dance and storytelling.

For Mangaldas, the work emerged from questions about the world's silence in the face of brutality and what that silence reveals about humanity.

“At its heart are children — their vulnerability, their suffering, but also their extraordinary resilience. I wanted to create a work that does not allow us to look away, but at the same time does not leave us only with despair,” she said.

Mangaldas added that working with the SOI and Ranjan had opened up a new creative vocabulary, allowing Kathak and contemporary movement to engage with the possibilities of symphonic music.

The NCPA sees the production as an extension of its commitment to commissioning new work and encouraging dialogue between Indian and international artistic practices. The collaboration is also being developed with the possibility of touring internationally, potentially taking the production to festivals and stages beyond India.

The creative team includes Aditi Mangaldas, Rushil Ranjan, Manish Kansara, Ryan Stafford, Morag Deyes, Urvashi Kaur, Deepak Kurki Shivaswamy and Gaurav Bhatti. Melvin Tay will conduct the music, while Christopher Flux serves as technical director and Andrea Gobbi as sound and recording engineer.

The Absence of PRESENCE will be performed on October 31 and November 1, 2026, at 6 pm at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, NCPA, Mumbai. Tickets will be available through BookMyShow and the NCPA box office.