In a land far, far away, there once lived a king. Unlike the archetypal maharaja, he found no joy in regality. Instead, his heart lay in playing pranks — much to the annoyance of his mother, but the delight of his kids. When he learnt that the royal couple of England would come visiting, he dropped everything else to welcome them in his own way. What happened on the day they arrived?

That's the premise of Maharaj of Mastipur, a shadow puppet show, which will premiere in the city at Wintertime@Prithvi, a week-long festival of plays and workshops for children. An initiative of Crossover Media's Guppy Theatre that aims to create a space where children can discover and use their imagination, the play is based on a book.