Writers like Kamatham, however, are breaking the shibboleths. “I got rid of the linear structure in Creeper, which is inspired by the Vikram-Betal form of story-telling,” he says. For Peele Scooterwala Admi, Kaul opted for an unconventional beginning and end while in Aisa Kahte Hain, he strung together several stories.

The prime hurdle for young playwrights remains funds. “I am taking a break to act in a few films so that I can supplement my theatre expenses,” says Kaul. Theatre might be Kamatham’s passion but he works for cinema, radio and video games. He also writes commissioned plays and freelances for IBM’s employee training programmes.

Mumbai-based Jagadale feels the most difficult part for an upcoming playwright is “to find a director who believes in your script. She had it easy with Sunil Shanbag directing her first play Bansuri. “After finding a director, economics and availability of space need attention,” says Jagadale, whose second play End of Season premiered at Prithvi Theatre in September.

Bollywood is both an influence and a threat. Da Cunha rues the steep competition from films while Kaul derides its impact on theatre. But the overlapping of film and theatre worlds seems inevitable. After the success of Loins of Punjab Presents, Pal now wants to write and direct another film. Jagadale too is writing a film script while Kamatham is associated with the making of two short films.
All said and done, there’s no doubt that this new crop of writers will give theatre a new lease of life. It’s time, perhaps, to raise a toast.