Mita Vasisht's Acclaimed Solo Play 'Lal Ded' Explores the 14th-Century Kashmiri Mystic

Lal Ded (1320-1392), the iconic woman mystic and poet of 14th century Kashmir, remains revered and loved to the present day. Her poetry and life have resonated with people across India, France, Holland, and Germany. The play features thirty 'vaakhs' of the mystic poet.

The solo performance is directed, written, and performed by Mita Vasisht, a distinguished actor, director, and writer. The production emerged from three years of research on the mystic poet and allied women poets. Primarily scripted by Vasisht initially in English, the final version was created in collaboration with filmmaker Vishnu Mathur. The Hindi translation of the original narrative parts was done by writer Rajesh Jha, while the Kashmiri Vaakhs in English draw from translations credited to poet A.K. Ramanujan and early 20th-century translations credited to Grierson. Hindi translations involved collaboration with the late Bansi Kaul, Anjana Puri, and Vasisht herself.

The play is produced by 'Dhwanipad', the professional drama repertory company established by Mita Vasisht, which completed 21 years of performance for 'Lal Ded' in 2025.