Archive · 4 Sep 2026
Mandi House Examines AI’s Threat to Live Theatre
Mandi House is a play about a theatre facing a difficult future.
It takes place in the year 2030.
Machines and computer systems are changing how theatres work.
Pradeep believes live acting by real people cannot be replaced.
Santy and Kiara believe technology is needed to keep the theatre open.
Their disagreement creates much of the story.
The play uses jokes to make its serious ideas easier to understand.
People laughed, felt emotional, and strongly applauded at the end.
Nanncy Gill’s play Mandi House is set in the year 2030.
The story follows theatre owner Pradeep as automation threatens his venue’s survival.
Two Gen-Z consultants argue that technology is necessary to modernize the hall.
The production uses comedy to explore serious questions about human performance and connection.
Audiences at the Shri Ram Centre responded strongly, including visible emotion during the final scenes.
- Who
- Nanncy Gill wrote, directed, produced, and performed in Mandi House; the cast includes Abbas Syed, Kaushik Prajapati, Kiran Bhivagade, and Jyoti.
- What
- A play examines whether automation and digital systems could push traditional live theatre out of the market.
- When
- The play is set in 2030 and arrived at the Shri Ram Centre this week after two Mumbai runs.
- Where
- The production was presented at the Shri Ram Centre, following performances in Mumbai.
- Why
- It explores the challenge of preserving human connection and unscripted performance as theatres adopt technology.
Preserve Traditional Theatre
Adopt Technology
Theatre’s future
Preserve Traditional Theatre
Pradeep argues that unscripted human performance cannot be replaced by machines.
Adopt Technology
Santy believes technological integration is the only realistic way for the venue to survive.
Modernization
Preserve Traditional Theatre
Traditional theatre values human connection and live acting over algorithm-driven systems.
Adopt Technology
Santy and Kiara are brought in to modernize the hall’s operations as surrounding spaces adopt high-tech setups.
- Play
- Mandi House
- Writer, director, and producer
- Nanncy Gill
- Setting
- The near future, in 2030
- Central character
- Pradeep, an older theatre owner played by Abbas Syed
- Main conflict
- Traditional live performance versus technology-driven modernization
- Venue
- Shri Ram Centre
- Tone
- Comedy combined with serious and emotional themes