Ancient Epic Meets Modern Theater: A Completely Reimagined Mahabharata Conquers Lincoln Center

In an era when theater companies often struggle to bridge cultural divides and temporal distances, Toronto’s Why Not Theatre has achieved something extraordinary with their adaptation of the Mahabharata. Currently running at Lincoln Center through June 29 as part of the Summer for the City festival, this ambitious two-part production transforms the ancient Sanskrit epic into a contemporary theatrical experience that feels both timeless and urgently relevant.

The production, which premiered at the Shaw Festival in Ontario in 2023, represents nearly a decade of development by co-artistic directors Ravi Jain and Miriam Fernandes, according to Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City festival. What emerges is not merely an adaptation but a complete reimagining that honors the source material while speaking directly to modern audiences grappling with questions of power, privilege, and moral responsibility. According to the New York Times, “their adaptation is based on the poet Carole Satyamurti’s retelling of the epic, which, at its core, is the story of two warring sets of cousins — the Kauravas and the Pandavas — trying to control a kingdom.”

A Marriage of Ancient and Modern

The genius of Why Not Theatre’s Mahabharata lies in its structural duality. Part 1 grounds audiences in traditional storytelling methods, featuring Indian classical dance numbers and guided by Fernandes as narrator. The opening tale of Prince Arjuna burning down a forest to feed the starving fire god Agni immediately establishes the epic’s moral complexity, while subsequent stories—including Yudhishthira’s fateful dice game—unfold through time-honored theatrical forms.

Part 2 boldly pivots into contemporary territory, incorporating television screens, recorded sound, and even presenting the Bhagavad Gita as a Sanskrit opera. This isn’t cultural appropriation or cheap modernization; it’s a sophisticated exploration of how ancient wisdom translates across millennia. When warfare is depicted through Kathakali dance—a classical form from Kerala—the production demonstrates how traditional art forms can carry contemporary weight.

The creative team faced a unique challenge when they discovered that established Kathakali canon didn’t include some of their chosen stories. Rather than compromise their vision, they sought blessing from traditional gurus to innovate within the form—a perfect metaphor for their entire approach to adaptation.

Ravi Jain: From Adversity to Innovation

Born in 1980 in Etobicoke, Ontario, Ravi Jain’s multicultural upbringing—growing up in an Indian household while attending French school in English-speaking Canada—profoundly shaped his theatrical vision, as documented in theater company profiles. After building his career in New York and London, Jain returned to Toronto with ambitious plans that hit a wall when traditional companies wouldn’t embrace his voice.

That rejection became the catalyst for Why Not Theatre’s founding. Jain’s approach to the Mahabharata began in 2016 with a substantial $375,000 grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, but the project truly took shape during the pandemic when global events forced a reconsideration of the epic’s central themes.

“To build a civilization, those with the most power must take care of those with the least,” Jain explained in interviews with Lincoln Center, articulating the dharma principle that drives their adaptation. “In the animal kingdom, the strong eat the weak. There’s no problem with that. But humans have empathy, and we can build a civilization where we’re not just those who eat and those who are eaten, but rather those who feed and those who are fed.”

Scholar Wendy Doniger’s observation that “no Indian ever hears the Mahabharata for the first time,” as noted in her foreword to Carole Satyamurti’s retelling, takes on new meaning when performed by artists for whom these stories are both heritage and living culture.

This philosophical framework isn’t abstract moralizing—it directly informs every creative choice in the production. Jain’s experience of being shut out of traditional theater spaces gives him particular insight into the Mahabharata’s themes of power and exclusion.

Miriam Fernandes: Bridging Worlds Through Performance

Miriam Fernandes joined the project in 2018 after completing graduate studies in France, bringing fresh perspective to Jain’s already-developing vision, according to Why Not Theatre company documentation. At 36, Fernandes represents a new generation of theater artists comfortable moving between high art and popular culture, ancient traditions and contemporary forms.

Her role as narrator in Part 1 isn’t merely functional—it embodies the production’s commitment to accessibility without condescension. Fernandes guides audiences through complex mythological terrain while maintaining the mystery and power of the original stories.

“When I try to explain it to a Western audience,” Fernandes noted in Lincoln Center interviews, “there’s no point of reference for something like the Mahabharata and South Asian culture because it is both sacred and spiritual and also pop culture and Marvel comic book series.” This cultural fluency allows her to navigate the epic’s multiple registers without losing either its spiritual depth or contemporary relevance.

Both directors describe their writing process as profoundly transformative, particularly as they worked through the #MeToo movement, the pandemic, and their own transitions to parenthood, as documented in program notes and company interviews. These personal and social upheavals didn’t distract from the ancient text—they deepened their understanding of its enduring relevance.

Technical and Artistic Excellence

The production’s 15 principal cast members, all drawn from the South Asian diaspora, create what theater critics have called “a glorious theatrical banquet,” according to early reviews from the Shaw Festival run. The integration of six musicians performing live during the first half adds acoustic authenticity while the electronic processing in Part 2 demonstrates how tradition can evolve without losing its essence.

The choreographic choices deserve particular praise. When traditional Kathakali forms proved insufficient for their storytelling needs, the creative team didn’t abandon authenticity—they sought permission to extend it. This respect for tradition combined with willingness to innovate characterizes the entire production.

Cultural Impact and Contemporary Relevance

Why Not Theatre’s Mahabharata arrives at a moment when questions about cultural representation, power dynamics, and moral leadership dominate public discourse. The production doesn’t shy away from these contemporary concerns—it uses the ancient epic to illuminate them.

The choice to cast entirely from the South Asian diaspora isn’t tokenism but artistic necessity. These performers bring cultural knowledge and emotional connection that inform every gesture and vocal inflection. Scholar Wendy Doniger’s observation that “no Indian ever hears the Mahabharata for the first time,” as noted in her foreword to Carole Satyamurti’s retelling, takes on new meaning when performed by artists for whom these stories are both heritage and living culture.

The production’s exploration of dharma—moral duty and righteous action—feels particularly urgent in 2025. As Jain noted in recent interviews, the central question remains: “Should I be afraid of you, or should I treat you like family?” In an increasingly fragmented world, this ancient wisdom offers not easy answers but necessary questions.

A Theatrical Achievement

Why Not Theatre’s adaptation succeeds where many cross-cultural projects fail by refusing to choose between authenticity and accessibility. Instead, it creates a third space where ancient wisdom and contemporary artistry enhance each other.

The production’s journey from the Shaw Festival to Lincoln Center represents more than commercial success—it demonstrates theater’s capacity to bridge cultures and centuries. In making the unfamiliar familiar without losing its mystery, Jain and Fernandes have created what critics from Canadian Theatre Review and other publications are calling “a once-in-a-generation theatrical experience.”

For audiences at Lincoln Center, this Mahabharata offers something increasingly rare: the chance to encounter genuine transformation through live performance. In a medium often criticized for irrelevance, Why Not Theatre proves that ancient stories, told with vision and integrity, remain our most powerful tools for understanding ourselves and our obligations to each other.

The production runs through June 29, and for those seeking theater that challenges, enlightens, and ultimately transforms, this Mahabharata stands as essential viewing—a reminder that the greatest stories never truly end, they simply find new voices to carry them forward.