“It was time to do a big production,” says Kapur, adding that the final push to direct a play was the chance to work with actors like Neel Chaudhuri, Momo Ghosh and Kriti Pant. Workshops began in December. “Neel, a writer himself, was cast as the poet Leonidik, while Kriti plays Lika, the central female character who becomes a catalyst for the two boys to explore their selves. Momo enacts the part of Marat, the boy who dreams of being a bridge-builder,” says Kapur. The action develops over 16 years as a love triangle develops against the backdrop of post-World War II destruction and reconstruction of Europe. Kapur adds he has maintained a high level of intensity all through — from the sets to the musical interludes.

The Promise will be staged at the Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, at 7.30 pm on January 9 and 10.