Paanch Khazane Explores Childhood Through Theatre and the Five Treasures

Paanch Khazane (पाँच ख़ज़ाने)

This play is a gentle yet powerful reflection on childhood—its needs, its silences, and its unspoken hopes. Through stories drawn from everyday life, it explores what a child truly seeks from family, school, peers, and the larger society: understanding, safety, freedom to express, and space to grow.

At the heart of the play lies the idea of the Five Treasures—essential values that nourish a child's inner world and, when preserved, continue to guide us into adulthood. These treasures are not luxuries; they are emotional and social foundations that help children feel seen, heard, and valued.

By weaving imagination with lived experiences, the play invites adults to pause and reflect on the environments we create for children. It asks a simple but urgent question: Are we enabling children to grow into confident, compassionate, and emotionally secure individuals?

Group Leaders

Md. Shahnshah is a resident of Madhepura, Bihar, with over 20 years of association with theatre and drama. He serves as the Secretary of the Samwadiya theater group in Madhepura and has worked across Madhepura, Saharsa, Supaul, Begusarai, Patna, and Bhopal as a rangvidushak (clown performer). He holds a diploma from the Madhya Pradesh School of Drama and a postgraduate degree in Music and Drama from Lalit Narayan Mithila University, Darbhanga. He received the Indira Gandhi National Award in 2011 and a two-year Junior Research Fellowship for children's theatre from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. He currently works with the NSD TIE Company.

Pooja Vedvikhyat is a theatre artist with over fifteen years of experience in acting, physical training, and traditional forms. A graduate of the National School of Drama, New Delhi (2018), she also holds a Diploma in Ensemble Physical Theatre from the DUENDE School of Ensemble Physical Theatre, Greece. She is a recipient of the National School of Drama Fellowship, focusing on theatre as a therapeutic tool for children. Trained in Kalaripayattu and Yakshagana, her work includes training in Navarasa Sadhana under Guru G. Venu. She currently works with the Theatre in Education (TIE) Company of the National School of Drama, New Delhi.