Performing at Siachen: Theatre at 20,000 Feet

The call came from the Indian Army’s cultural division. Would Ideas Unlimited be willing to perform for troops stationed at Siachen — the highest battlefield in the world?

We didn’t hesitate. Our Travelling Theatre philosophy has always been about reaching audiences wherever they are. A restaurant in Bandra? Sure. A jail in Ahmedabad? Absolutely. The Siachen base camp at 20,000 feet? Let’s go.

The logistics were unlike anything we’d faced. At that altitude, you can’t take deep breaths, let alone project your voice across a room. The cold is not the kind you can layer against — it’s the kind that gets into your bones and stays.

We performed Mohan No Masalo — our play on young Gandhi. It’s a one-person show, which made it practical for the conditions. But more than that, there was something deeply appropriate about performing a play about courage and conviction for soldiers who embody those qualities every day.

The auditorium was a military hall with metal chairs and concrete walls. The acoustics were terrible. The audience — about a hundred soldiers — sat in full winter gear. None of that mattered.

When the performance ended, there was a moment of absolute stillness. Then applause that shook the walls. Several soldiers came up afterward and said they hadn’t seen a live performance in years. One young jawan said it was the first play he’d ever seen.

We’ve performed at Prithvi Theatre, at NCPA, at international festivals. But that performance at Siachen is the one we talk about most. Because it proved something we’ve always believed: theatre doesn’t need a fancy venue. It just needs people.