The world is brimming with stories of courage and resilience. While many go unheard and unsung, a few do make it to the spotlight in the form of a book, a movie, or even a play. One such story is Ananya - A Journey beyond Imagination — an inspiring journey of an ordinary girl with extraordinary dreams. Ananya is a brilliant student and achiever, known for her confidence, charm, and beauty. Her future looks bright — with a promising career and an engagement to a wealthy man who falls in love with her. But a tragic accident turns her world upside down. Hopes dim, relationships crumble, and the people who once cheered her now begin to see her as a burden.The play, written and directed by Pratap Phad and produced by Sejal Dipak Painter, features well-known television, film and theatre actor Shweta Gulati in the titular role, aptly supported by Chitrashi Rawat, Atul Tiwari, Mustafa Burmawala, Savant Singh Premi, and Siddharth Bodke.
In an instant, her world shatters.
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Ananya, says Pratap, is inspired by “a real life story. A few years ago, I read a Marathi book that had two stories of women — one about a cancer survivor, the other about a girl like Ananya. I took the premise of Ananya from the book, fictionalised it and wrote the play. I wanted to tell the story of this girl, who is living somewhere in the world, and wanted to tell it in my own way,” says Pratap.The drama unfolds against a backdrop of an extravagant, detailed stage set, devoid of live music, dance, or stylisation, and presents a realistic portrayal. Shweta’s power‑packed performance as Ananya — a young woman who loses her hands in an accident embodies both fragility and the ferocity of the human psyche.The story unfolds through dialogue, acting and recorded sound effects. “We have ensured, the play does not come across as preachy,” points out Pratap. “Instead, it delivers a piercing truth: those tested by life’s harshest blows cannot even afford the luxury of brooding. They must fight relentlessly, simply to be seen and accepted beyond their disabilities and challenges. Here, resilience is not a choice but the very condition of survival — where survival itself transforms into a tale of triumph.”
