The politics of terror seeps into the stage as the curtains rise on the 11th Bharat Rang Mahotsav, the annual theatre festival of the National School of Drama, which starts on January 7.

From the trauma of 9/11 in Gowri Ramnarayan’s Water Lilies to the fear of extinction in Asif Ali Khan’s 59 minutes, 60 seconds, theatre directors have, as NSD Chairperson Amal Allana says, “refracted the disturbing times in which we live through a prism of passionate productions”.

The foreign contingent has brought in its own perspectives — Letter of Suffering from Afghanistan and Mayadevi ke Sapne from Nepal invoke the pain of loss in war, while The Days of Adel from Israel reveals the schizophrenia of living in a divided world. “Helen Cinque’s Afghan production Le Tartuffe and Suveeran’s Malayalam play Ayussinte Pustakam also discuss the troubled relationship between religion, politics and society,” said Allana.

Over 12 days, Delhi can watch 63 plays, including a dozen by international troupes. What about doubts that invariably surface about the selection process? “This year, we had an advisory committee that laid down parameters to sift from the pile of 400 entries,” said Allana, adding that they tried to give a pan-Indian representation and include up-and-coming directors. “There are 10 new faces this year,” said Allana, ticking their names — Zuleikha Chaudhuri from Delhi, Mohit Takalkar from the Marathi stage, Santanu Bose from Bengal and Jyotish MG from Kerala, among others.

While political commentary forms a major theme of the festival, there will be love stories like Laila Majnu and Ishq Su Jaag Da Mool based on Heer Ranjha; a modern telling of folktales like Agnijal, Kirit Parva and Karna Katha; and futuristic performances like The Painted World, a Czech play that evolves through black light effects.

If politics dominates, can Badal Sircar be far away? The festival will include an exhibition of the eminent theatreperson’s works as a tribute to his influence on alternative theatre methods.