“Penumbra is the space between fear and hope—the half-shadow where most of us live, and where, perhaps, courage quietly begins.” This is how Shamim, a member of the Surge Theatre Collective, describes their recent performance that has captured the essence of resistance, student activism, and the struggle for freedom.
The Surge Theatre Collective, a group formed by former students and young theatre artists from the Department of Theatre Arts at Hyderabad Central University (HCU), is taking a bold step in Hyderabad’s theatre scene. Their latest play, Penumbra, explores the socio-political undercurrents that have shaped youth movements, both during the Indian Freedom Movement and in the present day. The production is being staged at Rangbhoomi Space in Hyderabad and has drawn attention for its unique take on history and resistance.
“We’ve created this group to address topics that are usually overlooked in commercial theatre,” said Shamim, who is also the production manager of the group. “We want to talk about student activism and how voices of dissent, whether from the times of Bhagat Singh or today’s students like Rohith Vemula, are silenced. These voices have always been suppressed, either directly or indirectly.”
The play connects the past and present, linking the resistance movements of pre-independence India with the ongoing struggles of marginalized communities, students, and the working class today. Through a performance that mixes music, design, and physical expression, Penumbra sheds light on the stories of those who “resist oppression despite the risks”.
The production was brought to life by a team of passionate artists. Sravya, Akhil, Vinay, Surya, Nitish, Krishna, and Raphael all came together to create this performance, each contributing their unique talents and efforts.
Shamim further explained, “The main theme of our play is to show the continuity of struggle—from Bhagat Singh’s time to today. We have a scene dedicated to Rohith Vemula’s letter, where we connect the past with the present. We’ve composed a song that touches on Kashmir, student protests, and the criminalization of activism.”
The Surge Theatre Collective aims to engage its audience not just with the historical events, but with the human emotions behind them. “This work does not aim to glorify history or evoke nostalgia. Instead, it provokes inquiry. It seeks to engage its audience and participants in dialogue, examining the human dimensions of resistance—the doubts, the vulnerabilities and the strength in choosing to act despite the,” the collective said.
“We move away from portraying freedom fighters as mere political icons or heroes. Instead, we seek to understand them as ordinary people who stepped into extraordinary roles with a deep awareness of the risks they carried. Their resistance was not mythic—it was physical, grounded, and real.”
The Collective further said, “These moments of unrest, often buried or diluted, resurface here in form and feeling, resonating with the struggles of youth that has always found ways to rise, to resist, to reclaim voice.”
