Aabaha Art and Theater Festival 2025 Brings Multicultural Storytelling and Community Engagement to Georgia
Sugar Hill, GA – August 25, 2025
Aabaha Inc. successfully hosted the Aabaha Art and Theater Festival (AATF) 2025 from August 22–24 at The Eagle Theatre, Sugar Hill, Georgia, celebrating three days of vibrant multilingual and multicultural performances, art exhibitions, and community dialogue.
The festival showcased traditional, contemporary, and experimental theater in English, Hindi, and Bengali, along with immersive art exhibits, literary tributes, and thought-provoking discussions. AATF 2025 continued Aabaha’s mission of “showcasing cultural diversity beyond borders” by providing a platform for both professional and community artists from Georgia and across the United States.
Festival Highlights
Theatrical Productions from Georgia:
- Aabaha (Marietta, GA)
- Dhoop Chaoon Hindi Group (Atlanta, GA)
- PACA (Atlanta, GA)
Guest Productions from Out-of-State:
- ECTA (NJ)
- DFW Play (TX)
- ENAD (Boston, MA)
- Chicago Natyogoshthi (IL)
These productions explored themes of identity, migration, justice, memory, and cultural belonging, offering audiences a rich blend of traditional, contemporary, and experimental theater.
Aabaha Samman Award: Presented to Dr. Sudipta Bhawmik, renowned playwright and director, honoring his immense contribution to Indian American theater.
Art Exhibits: A platform for community artists—painters, sculptors, and artisans—who shared their remarkable creations.
Panel Discussion: “Does Indian Theater in the US serve the interests of the community it caters to?”—a vibrant dialogue featuring eminent thespians, community leaders, and engaged audiences.
Book Opening: The festival featured the unveiling of “Kancha Kobitar Boi” by poet Ankan Basu, bringing a unique literary dimension to the festival by celebrating contemporary Bengali poetry.
Poster Show: A special exhibition honored the birth anniversaries of legendary theater personalities Badal Sarkar, Tripti Mitra, and Mohan Rakesh. Through rare visuals and archival posters, audiences revisited the profound influence of these icons whose work shaped the trajectory of modern Indian theater.
Community Engagement: Opportunities for audiences to interact with artists, fostering cultural understanding and collaboration.
The festival was inaugurated by Consul Ms. Nishi Arora of the Indian Consulate, Atlanta, and the Aabaha Samman Award was felicitated by Mayor Brandon Hembree of Sugar Hill, Chief Guest of AATF, underscoring the vital support of both local and international leadership in promoting arts and culture.
Mayor Brandon Hembree said:
“I congratulate Dr. Sudipta Bhawmik on receiving the Aabaha Samman Award and commend Aabaha for organizing this remarkable festival. By bringing together diverse cultures and artistic expressions, Aabaha enriches the city of Sugar Hill and strengthens the bonds of our community.”
“Our vision with AATF is to create an immersive space where stories from diverse traditions find resonance with contemporary lives,” said Kallol Nandi, Founder and Artistic Director of Aabaha Inc. “By blending traditional, contemporary, and experimental theater with community art, literature, and dialogue, we aim to nurture an inclusive and globally conscious cultural landscape in Georgia.”
The success of AATF 2025 reflects Aabaha’s growing role in Georgia’s cultural ecosystem, offering audiences an unforgettable experience while providing a national platform for local artists.
For more information about Aabaha and future events, visit www.aabaha.org.
About Aabaha Inc.
Founded in 2019 in Marietta, GA, Aabaha Inc. is dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and advancing Indian American performing arts within the multicultural American context. Through theater, storytelling, art exhibitions, and cultural festivals, Aabaha fosters cross-cultural understanding and community engagement, bringing diverse voices together on one stage.
