The new stage production explores nine universal emotions through storytelling, poetry, live music and classical dance
UAE – Katha Sutra, a creative collective formed by three Dubai-based women, will present NAVAM (The Nine Within), a musical play, on October 31, 2026 at Live at Play, Al Quoz.
The production explores nine universal emotions through storytelling in English, original Hindi poetry, music and Indian classical dance. Inspired by the Navarasas, a traditional Indian framework of emotions, it explores how these feelings appear in everyday life.
It connects ideas from Indian culture with situations and emotions that audiences from any background can recognise. The performance invites the audience to look beyond first impressions and consider how emotions influence relationships, choices and how we understand other people.
The production also draws inspiration from Shakespeare’s idea that “all the world’s a stage.” NAVAM brings this familiar thought into conversation with the Navarasas, asking what happens when we begin to recognise ourselves among life’s many characters.
Kamala Iyer, Sutradhar and co-founder of Katha Sutra, said: “The title, The Nine Within, reflects the emotional complexity that exists inside every person. We all play different roles, and our feelings do not always appear separately or fit into simple categories.”
NAVAM follows O Sakhi — Her Voice in Verse & Song, Katha Sutra’s earlier production, which played to a full house. This time, Kathak joins the collective’s storytelling, poetry and music. The creative team behind the play performance includes Kamala Iyer, Surabhi Joshi, Priyanka Raman, Swarashri Shridhar, Abhay Samant Faraz Ahmad and Sandeepan.
Tickets are available at Platinumlist: https://dubai.platinumlist.net/event-tickets/108693/navam-the-nine-within
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About Katha Sutra
Katha Sutra (‘Where Lore Meets Loom’) is a Dubai-based creative collective that revisits the stories, ideas and artistic traditions we inherit through a contemporary lens. Its name draws on the idea that stories are not just told but handed down, collecting new retellings, interpretations and memories with each generation that receives them. The collective weaves storytelling, poetry and music together to find new threads in familiar material, and uses a conversational stage style that lets cultural depth come through the story itself.
The collective brings together three UAE-based women whose professional lives extend well beyond the arts. Kamala Iyer is a fintech consultant who also writes and tells stories. Priyanka Raman is a marketing professional and a singer trained in both Carnatic and Hindustani music. Surabhi Joshi is an oil trader who writes and performs Hindi poetry. On stage, they take the roles of Sutradhar (narrator), Gaayika (singer) and Kaviyatri (poet).
