Navam : The Nine Within à Dubaï

Some stories are not merely told. They are handed down.

Across generations, they gather retellings, interpretations, silences and memories - the warp of an inherited story meeting the weft of every age that receives it.

Katha Sutra returns to the stories, ideas and artistic traditions we have inherited through a contemporary lens, weaving together storytelling, poetry and music to discover new threads through something familiar.

Because what we inherit may remain the same, even as the way we encounter it changes.

Katha Sutra: Where Lore Meets Loom.

Saturday, October 31, 2026

Doors open: 10:30 AM
Performance begins: 11:00 AM
Duration: Approximately 120 minutes

Script & storytelling: English
Original poetry: Hindi
Music: Hindi and other Indian languages

Live at Play, Warehouse B17, ABA Avenue

A carefully curated two-hour intimate performance exploring the Navarasas - the nine rasas of Indian
aesthetic tradition - through storytelling, original poetry, live music and Kathak.

The musical landscape draws from the Hindustani classical tradition, ghazal and bhajan, the poetry of Kabir, and other strands of India's rich musical heritage.

The Hindi poetry has been written and composed especially for NAVAM, becoming a voice of its own within the performance.

Kathak brings another language to the stage - through rhythm, gesture and expression, allowing movement to say what words sometimes cannot.

The storytelling is in English, bringing the ancient language of rasa into conversation with the way we experience our own lives.

A story that draws you in.
A poem written for this moment.
A voice that changes the air in the room.
A rhythm that gathers momentum.
A movement that says what words cannot.

Expect a morning that moves between reflection and laughter, intensity and quiet, recognition and surprise - personal enough to feel less like a formal concert and more like a gathering you have been invited into.

And when the final note fades, the afternoon doesn't have to begin just yet.

Linger over a cup of chai, savour some Indian street food available for purchase at the venue, indulge in a little gupshup, and let the performance spill into conversations of your own.

Come for the nine rasas. Stay for the chai and gupshup. Take home the conversation.

How about an unhurried morning?

One where you can linger.

To listen to a story. To lose yourself in a song. To hear a poem written for this moment. To watch a gesture, a glance, a turn of Kathak say what words sometimes cannot.

To laugh. To pause. To recognise something familiar - and perhaps see it a little differently.

Because sometimes, the most interesting journeys don't take us somewhere new.

They simply allow us to look again at something we thought we already knew.

Come away with a morning enjoyed, and a conversation just begun.

NAVAM: The Nine Within - concept, narrative framework and performance conceived and developed by Katha Sutra.

Early Bird: AED 125 Available until October 16, 2026 Regular: AED 150

Early bird tickets available for a limited time — secure yours before prices rise.

Tickets are non-refundable

Book Your Seat Now Tickets available exclusively on Platinumlist.net

1. The venue is wheelchair accessible.
2. Free seating is provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
3. Age policy: To preserve the intimate listening experience of the performance, the event is open to guests aged 12 years and above. Children under 12 will not be admitted.
4. Parking: Limited parking is available within the venue. You may also find parking spots in the surrounding area. As parking can get busy and finding a spot may take time, we recommend arriving early, or better still, taking a taxi, ride-hailing service or public transport and arriving in time to settle in before the performance begins.