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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline JULY 24, 2026 | The Indian Eye 27

The festival concluded with
“Dhaaga,” a multilingual production
directed by Amita, which addressed
the global issues of sustainability and
fast fashion. Weaving together stories
across cultures and generations, the
play illustrated how individual choic-
es connect to worldwide environmen-
tal and humanitarian challenges. Its
moving narrative left audiences re-
flecting on the responsibility each of
us shares in creating a more sustain-
able future.
Collectively, the five produc-
tions demonstrated theater’s unique
ability to entertain while encourag-
ing meaningful conversations about
mental health, technology, ethics,
family relationships, environmental
responsibility, and social justice. The
festival highlighted the richness of
multilingual theater and celebrated
the creativity of playwrights, directors,
actors, musicians, designers, tech-
nicians, and volunteers whose ded-
ication brought these stories to life.
The program was expertly hosted
by emcees Sucheta Sathe and Vishal
Chedda, whose warmth, humor, and cess. Their continued support en-
professionalism ensured a seamless ables IHCA-NJ to provide a platform
flow throughout the day and kept the au- where diverse voices are heard and
dience engaged from beginning to end. meaningful stories are shared.”
Speaking after the festival, Dr. Founded in 2013, the Indian
Ashok Chaudhary, Founder and Pres- Heritage & Cultural Association of
ident of IHCA-NJ, said: New Jersey (IHCA-NJ) is a nonprofit
“For the past eleven years, Natya 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to
Darpan has demonstrated that the- promoting performing arts, preserv-
ater is much more than entertain- ing cultural heritage, and fostering
ment—it is a catalyst for dialogue, un- cross-cultural understanding through
derstanding, and social change. This theater, dance, music, and education-
year’s productions addressed some al programming. Through signature
of the most pressing issues facing our initiatives such as Natya Darpan and
society, from mental health and arti- Nritya Darpan, IHCA-NJ has provid-
ficial intelligence to sustainability and ed a platform for hundreds of artists
human relationships. We are deep- and playwrights while using the per-
ly grateful to our artists, volunteers, forming arts to spark dialogue, pro-
sponsors, partners, dignitaries, and mote social awareness, and strength-
our wonderful audience for making en communities through cultural
this festival another memorable suc- exchange.

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