"Do a classic in a new way and a new play like a classic," these words by noted theatre director Abhishek Majumdar remain Be Taal's Abhinav Grover's mantra. So, when he decided to revisit a classic, he knew he had to in a never before seen way. And when it's an oft-performed piece like Girish Karnad's Tughlaq, it is an uphill battle.

Smaller budgets here turned out to be a boon and the question of replicating earlier, more grandiose productions didn't arise. Grover chose a minimalist approach that was bare enough to be performed in small, intimate spaces. He also occasionally gave into temptation, attempting a surreal transition or two when he could. For instance, when Tughlaq kills his mother, his face is smeared with red gulaal by the subjects. It's a Shakespearean moment, where the crime is viewed from the culprit's internalisation giving way for a new language on stage.