Step into the world of magical realism with The Legends of Khasak at SAF 2025
The immersive Malayalam language play is set to enthral audiences at the festival from December 17-20.
Panaji, October 2025: This December, the riverfront city of Panjim, Goa will pulse with sound, light, and creativity as Serendipity Arts Festival (12–21 December 2025) celebrates its 10th milestone edition—a decade of bringing together the finest in visual arts, theatre, dance, music, craft, design, photography, and culinary innovation. Over ten days and across more than 300,000 square feet of heritage spaces, the festival will present a rich tapestry from across India and beyond, creating a vivid portrait of contemporary South Asian culture across festival venues like The Old GMC Complex, Art Park, Directorate of Accounts, Kala Academy, and beyond. Kala Academy opens into distinct spaces—The Foundry, The Quad, and Dinanath Mangeshkar Kala Mandir—while The Old GMC Complex unfolds through The Theatre, Access Village, the Old GMC Building, the Food Lab, and the Talks Corner.
Marking its tenth anniversary, Serendipity Arts Festival has taken to the road—embracing a nomadic spirit that carries its celebration across cities and cultures. The journey began in Birmingham with Birmingham City University to present poetry readings, performances, and exhibitions at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire & Symphony Hall—bringing together creative communities across borders. In Ahmedabad, in a collaboration with India Art Fair during Ahmedabad Cultural Week, celebrating the city’s vibrant artistic energy. Delhi welcomed Shaam-e-Ghazal against the striking backdrop of Safdarjung Tomb, an evening of ghazals with Sabhyata Foundation that honoured a decade of cultural celebration. In Varanasi, River Raag travelled from Goa’s shores to the banks of the Ganges, hosted at the historic BrijRama Palace—extending the festival’s reach to one of India’s most sacred cities.
The road ahead leads to Chennai, Gurugram, Dubai, and Paris, with each city adding its own chapter to this ongoing story. All paths eventually converge in Goa, where the festival will present its largest edition yet—a homecoming of sorts after months of wandering. This multi-city approach reflects Serendipity Arts’ core belief: culture thrives in movement, artistic exchange flourishes through travel, and transformation happens when we step beyond familiar boundaries to meet on new ground.
An immersive theatrical experience awaits theatre lovers at the upcoming Serendipity Arts Festival (SAF), one of South Asia’s largest multi-disciplinary arts festivals that draws art aficionados from across the country and beyond to Goa.
Curated by Anuradha Kapur, the performing arts section of the festival will stage a theatrical spectacle with The Legends of Khasak, a Malayalam play based on an adaptation of the legendary writer OV Vijayan’s iconic fiction novel, Khasakkinte Itihasam. The play will debut in Goa for the first time at the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) ground in the state capital, with shows running from December 17 through December 20, 2025, at 6.30 pm.
The Malayalam play, running for a showtime of approximately 200 minutes, is considered a landmark work of magical realism. This immersive theatrical performance follows the life of a young man who, burdened by a troubled past, arrives in a remote Kerala village to teach at a single-teacher village school. The premise traces his journey, as he is drawn inexorably into the rich tapestry of the land — its people, its myths and the haunting whispers of its legends. As the boundaries between the real and the imagined begin to dissolve in this tale, the main character and the audience alike are ushered into a realm of philosophical introspection.
“Set in a riverside playground, The Legends of Khasak unfolds like a dream, supported by a rich sensory experience. Staged in an open-air arena, it uses fire, water, soil, scent, fog and the open sky as part of the narrative. The production draws on Kerala folk traditions like Theyyam, puppetry and masks. The result is an immersive performance that evokes wonder while exploring magical realism, cultural coexistence and philosophical reflection,” according to the Festival Director, Smriti Rajgarhia.
The ambitious, eco-theatrical production features theatre artistes PC Gopala Krishnan, KV Krishnan Mash, P. Baskaran Master, Kumar Pariyacheri, CK Sudheer, among others in major roles, directed by Kerala-based theatre director Deepan Sivarman, who is also in charge of the dramaturgy and scenography; aided by the musical genius of Chandran Veyyattummal, the presentation is set to be a complete soul-stirrer.
Disclaimer: Some scenes feature ritualistic content that may be intense for very young children. Viewer discretion is advised.
It is a ticketed performance open to all age groups. Book your tickets now!
Registrations Are Now Open!
Registrations for Serendipity Arts Festival 2025 are now live! Visit the official festival website to secure your Art Pass, book your tickets, and stay updated on workshops, performances, exhibitions, and more. More programmes will be announced soon so keep checking back for updates.
Link: https://www.
Join us in Panaji, Goa, from 12–21 December 2025, to celebrate the 10th edition of Serendipity Arts Festival.
Loading ...