Samikssha Batnagar Steps Into Theatre With Debut Production 'Shikhandi'

Anupamaa actress Samikssha Batnagar is expanding her creative horizons with her first theatrical production, Shikhandi, staged under her own banner, Samikssha Stage Craft. The musical play revisits the lesser-known story of Shikhandi from the Mahabharata, weaving together themes of courage, rejection, sacrifice, revenge and resilience. Shikhandi will premiere on 26 September 2026 at St. Andrews Auditorium, Bandra.

Explaining what drew her to the subject, Samikssha shared that she wanted her debut production to tell a story that hasn't been widely told. Shikhandi's arc, she said, has long fascinated her - not just because of who the character eventually becomes, but because of the emotional transformation that leads there. She pointed out that while the Ramayana and Mahabharata have inspired countless adaptations over the years, Shikhandi's personal journey has rarely been given center stage.

Through the play, she hopes to bring audiences face-to-face with the side of Shikhandi that history has largely glossed over - the pain, the struggle and the strength that shaped the character.

Preparing for the role has been an intense undertaking for the actress. Beyond portraying a warrior, she wanted to capture the human being beneath the armor - someone shaped by rejection, hardship and transformation. She said her goal is for audiences to see not just the fighter, but the person who endured the experiences that turned her into Shikhandi.

Samikssha is also treating the transgender portrayal at the heart of the role with care and preparation. She acknowledged that playing a transgender character as a woman comes with its own set of challenges, particularly around physicality, voice and body language. She credited director Kulvinder Bakshish Singh with helping her work on voice modulation and physical expression to bring authenticity to the part.

Even as she gears up for the premiere, Samikssha continues to juggle theatre with her ongoing television commitments. She currently shoots for Anupamaa nearly every day, which makes fitting in rehearsals for Shikhandi a demanding task. She credited her television team - naming Rajan and Vivek Jain in particular - for their support in accommodating her schedule during this period.

For Samikssha, though, theatre holds a special place that goes beyond any other medium. She described the experience of performing live and feeding off audience reactions in real time as something that gives her a distinct kind of energy, calling stage performance her first love and adding that every performance leaves her feeling like she's continuing to grow as an artist.

With director Kulvinder Bakshish Singh, presenter Abhishek Narayan and the rest of the Shikhandi team backing the project, Samikssha called the production a dream come true, adding that her focus is on delivering an experience the entire team and the audience can be proud of - one she sees as just the start of a longer journey in theatre.