Amit Ohdedhar and Sudeepta Vyas founded Prayas in 2005. Photo: Supplied
An Indian community theatre group marked two decades on stage in 2025, growing from a small grassroots initiative into a vibrant platform showcasing South Asian stories across New Zealand.
Founded by Amit Ohdedar and Sudeepta Vyas in 2005, Prayas has spent two decades building bridges between Indian theatre and Kiwi audiences, while creating space for community-driven productions in English.
The group marked the milestone with a production titled Pitārā: A Box of Memories in November, featuring bite-sized scenes from the past seven Prayas productions: Charandas Chor: The Honest Thief, Kingdom of Cards, Rudali, Love N' Stuff, Swabhoomi, Dara and Dreaming the Next 20 Years of Prayas.
"Frankly, when we started 20 years ago, I never thought it would ... last for 20 years. So that, in itself, is quite a surprise as well as a very fulfilling achievement," Ohdedar said.
"So many people have come along the way to make this happen because it was never planned," he said. "It was just organically sort of grown from where we started in 2005."
Prayas was the first community theatre performing South Asian plays in English in New Zealand. Photo: Supplied
Ohdedar moved to New Zealand in 1994 from Kolkata, West Bengal, in India.
Originally an engineer, he said the move was driven by New Zealand's demand for migrants at the time.
"We didn't know much about the country other than (cricket star) Richard Hadlee and were aware that there were more sheep than people," Ohdedar said. "So, we arrived and it was amazingly rewarding."
After settling in Auckland, Ohdedar became involved in the formation of the Bengali Association and later gravitated towards theatre.
He said the South Asian theatre landscape in New Zealand was limited at the time.
"There weren't any community groups during those days. Only Jacob Rajan of the Indian Ink Theatre Company was doing South Asian theatre," he said.
"New Zealand was a very different place. People didn't understand India back then. It was takeaway curry, exotic Bollywood dances or a mystic guru.
"Community theatre doing South Asian work was very few."
Actors performing in a Prayas production titled Rudali. Photo: Supplied
Ohdedar said many communities performed theatre in their own languages, with Bengali groups staging plays in Bengali and Marathi groups in Marathi.
"Prayas was the first community theatre that was doing South Asian plays in English," he said.
Launched in 2005, Prayas' first production was Charandas Chor: The Honest Thief, based on a play by Habib Tanvir.
Over the years, the group has staged a wide range of productions, including Kingdom of Cards (2011), Rudali (2012 and 2013), Love N' Stuff (2016), Swabhoomi (2017), First World Problems (2018), A Fine Balance (2019), First World Problems 2.0 (2019), YĀTRĀ (2020), First World Problems 3.0 (2021), Dhaba on Devon Avenue (2023) and Pitārā: A Box of Memories (2025).
Ohdedar said the group had faced ongoing challenges, even after two decades on stage.
"Those days it was a different kind of challenge, the challenge of starting fresh, but over the years you're hit with challenges in various ways," he said.
"Funding is one of the biggest challenges. Finding people is another because most of our work relies on volunteers. Getting them to commit time to productions, changing audience behaviour, the pandemic and then reconnecting with audiences afterward were all major challenges," he said.
Actors performing in a Prayas production titled Kingdom of Cards. Photo: Supplied
Co-founder Sudeepta Vyas said the anniversary was a moment of pride, tempered by the realities of sustaining community theatre.
"On paper, there is a lot to be proud of," she said. "Prayas has had big shows, full houses, critical acclaim. The funny thing is, Prayas never lets you stay proud for too long."
Vyas said moments of success were often short-lived, quickly replaced by practical concerns.
"That's the beauty of Prayas," she said. "It keeps us grounded, connected and grateful. And, honestly, that is the kind of emotion I cherish most."
She said Prayas had always been rooted in the community.
"Prayas has built a space where South Asian stories can be told with honesty, boldness and craft, without losing the warmth and togetherness of a community effort," Vyas said.
"It has created a platform for artists, welcomed newcomers, nurtured talent and brought our cultural roots to Auckland's mainstream stage."
Writer and director Ankita Singh said Prayas had played a crucial role in supporting South Asian creatives.
"They created a space for us when there literally was none," Singh said.
"Prayas has been more like an accessible training ground for us, especially those of us who were not able to pursue or study theatre formally."
Singh, who has been involved with Prayas on and off for several years, said community groups were vital for people who loved theatre but could not pursue it as a full-time career.
"Theatre should be accessible at all stages in life, not just an extracurricular at school," she said.
She said Prayas' use of street theatre, a common practice in South Asia, had helped to break down barriers.
Ankita Singh is a writer and director. Photo: Emerging Screen Alliance Aotearoa
Singh said Prayas had exposed her to South Asian theatre while growing up in Kirikiriroa in a family without an arts background.
"People like Amit Ohdedar and Sudeepta Vyas have inspired me deeply with their love for South Asian storytelling," she said.
"They are the theatre-obsessed uncle and aunty I wish I had when I was growing up," she said.
Singh described Prayas as a springboard for young South Asian creatives and noted its broader impact on people's lives.
"A few people have met and then got married through Prayas productions. I mean, that's quite an achievement if you ask me - literally life-changing," she said with a laugh.
For Ohdedar, the milestone also marked a transition.
"We've got a new committee to run the group. I'm still involved, but it's more like an advisory capacity," he said.
"I'm hoping this new group will take it into the next phase, staying true to the kaupapa of being a community theatre and cultural group, while also diversifying, experimenting more, and moving toward a more sustainable path of growth," he said.
