The opening evening of KalaYatra 2026 , curated and led by Dr. Sonal Mansingh , unfolded at Kamani Auditorium with a clear emphasis on performance as inquiry rather than spectacle. From the first work of the night, it was evident that the Festival of New Choreographies was less interested in familiar narrative comfort and more invested in how classical dance can speak afresh. The festival opened with Amrut-Manthan , conceptualised, choreographed, and directed by Dr. Mansingh

‘ Zaaviye’ , an Urdu word meaning angles or perspectives, brings together imagery and poetry in a rare and delicate embrace. What began as a dream now unfolds in an intimate exhibition and a finely crafted coffee table book.   The project features 32 evocative black-and-white photographs by Gaurav Bharadwaj, each accompanied by a verse graciously gifted by Gulzar Saab. Together, they form a meditative conversation between word and image — a dialogue between what is visible an