Chaandni Raatein: A Russian Tale Infused with Indian Elements by Purva Naresh

Chaandni Raatein is a story that spans four nights under a twilight sky where the sun never fully sets. It is a story of love, longing, and the delicate threads that bind people together.

A man haunted by loneliness meets a woman waiting for a love that may never return. Their connection deepens, hope springs, and the possibility of heartbreak rears its head for both of them. Shifting perspectives, the story is seen through the eyes of a dreamer, a lover, and a silent observer, revealing the complex layers of desire, vulnerability, and fate. Told with a fusion of Indian Classical Music and Eastern European sounds, dance, and Hindi poetry woven across a century into its storytelling style, Chandni Raatein explores whether love alone can illuminate the darkness or if some endings are inevitable!

Writer and Director

Purva Naresh is an award-winning, internationally acclaimed Indian playwright, writer, and director with over two decades of experience across theatre, film, and digital content. She has written more than fifteen plays and directed seven, with music-integrated productions such as Aaj Rang Hai, Bandish 20–20000 Hz, Ladies Sangeet, and Roshe Roshe performed at major Indian theatre festivals and to packed audiences at Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai.

She is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, the Safdar Hashmi Award for Theatre Direction, and the Ladli Media Award for Best Play on Gender Sensitization. Internationally, she has been invited to write and collaborate with prestigious institutions including The Royal Court Theatre, The Curve Theatre, Melbourne Centre for the Arts, and Bakehouse Theatre.

A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India, Purva has been nominated twice for the Filmfare Awards for Hasee Toh Phasee and The Broken News. She has worked closely with Rohan Sippy on projects including Dum Maaro Dum, Criminal Justice Season 3, Mithya Season 1, and the BBC's Indian adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. Her film collaborations include work with Rakesh Roshan, Anurag Basu, and Ashwni Dhir.

She has also directed award-winning short films such as Portal and previously served as Head of Production at Reliance Motion Pictures. A trained Kathak dancer, Pakhawaj player, and percussionist with a Master’s in Percussion, Purva continues to work actively across theatre, film, and streaming as a writer and director.

Director’s Note

Chaandni Raatein the play explores loneliness, love, and longing visually through the set, blocking, and lighting. The musical tries to infuse Indian elements while telling this very Russian tale. The set and costumes stick to being true to the Russian elements as much as possible because in the story, the city of St. Petersburg is quite a vibrant character. Just as nights merge into dawn during the White Nights in St. Petersburg, the play does not use blackouts for transitions. Scenes segue from one into the other.

The adaptation tries to explore the concept of love and what it does for mankind. It also explores the question of who is a winner in love and who is a loser. It is not a lover, but love that completes us and makes us larger than life. It is not humans, but humanity that stands tall against the times. The play is an ode to a classic with some contemporary touches and fusing Indian elements into a Russian tale.

Group

Aarambh Mumbai is a theatre group based out of Mumbai with a catalogue of five award-winning plays developed in four years since its inception. Aarambh is focused upon generating engaging and socially relevant content in Hindi and other Indian languages for various platforms of the entertainment sector with a special focus on theatre.