Don’t get me wrong. I like designing, but I also love performing,” admits writer-director Sarthak Shukla, who will debut his musical, Ek Frame Katha, this weekend at a Versova venue. Shukla studied design at National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). As a collegian, he became increasingly drawn to the performing arts. After graduation, he pursued this passion professionally, performing with theatre groups like Aranya Theatre and Rangshila. He honed his writing skills by working with a production house in Mumbai that propelled him to write his own play.

The play, Ek Frame Katha, traces the journey of a boy named Dagru who, early in his life, had to migrate from his village to the city. After the death of his grandfather, he earned money through hard labour. Among the things that he owns, the one he treasured the most was a frame — a gift from his grandfather that represented his days as a child. One day, however, he loses the frame. The play follows his search for the metaphorical frame that held a picture of his childhood — to find it is to regain his innocence.