Ali Fazal Returns To Stage As Presenter For Amitosh Nagpal’s Mahanagar Jugnu At Le’ Chakallas Fringe Festival

Ali Fazal is returning to theatre in a new way, as presenter of Amitosh Nagpal’s play Mahanagar Jugnu, which will be staged during the Le' Chakallas Fringe Festival in Mumbai from 25th February to 1st March, bringing Fazal back to his stage roots.

The actor is backing the production for the first time as a presenter, supporting Mahanagar Jugnu, which is written and directed by Amitosh Nagpal. The play is positioned as the central theatrical attraction at the festival, drawing attention from theatre followers and wider culture audiences alike.

Ali Fazal Mahanagar Jugnu Le' Chakallas Fringe Festival lineup and schedule

The Le' Chakallas Fringe Festival runs for a week in Mumbai, with programming that stretches from theatre and book readings to poetry sessions, book launches and workshops. The schedule also names pieces like Dastangoi, Jo Dooba So Paar, Qiseebaazi and a stand-up set by Varun Grover, alongside several other niche performances.

Organised by Ravi Srivastava at Artisan Coterie and presented by Mandali Talkies × Artisan Coterie, the festival is designed as an intimate yet busy cultural space. It encourages close contact between performers and audiences, keeping barriers low and conversation active across performances and informal gatherings.

Event	Dates	Location	Key Names
Le' Chakallas Fringe Festival	25th Feb – 1st March	Mumbai	Ali Fazal, Amitosh Nagpal, Ravi Srivastava

Ali Fazal Mahanagar Jugnu Le' Chakallas Fringe Festival experience and format

The organisers describe Le' Chakallas as born from rebellion, curiosity and community, turning the venue into a temporary creative playground. Audiences can move through theatre shows, poetry, storytelling, stand-up, rap battles, beatboxing, open mics, music sets, concerts, coffee raves, workshops, food pop-ups and artisan markets in one space.

Within this set-up, Mahanagar Jugnu aims to reflect the energy and conflicts of city life, using performance to explore the rhythms, poetry and tensions of urban existence. Its placement at the centre of the programme underlines the festival’s interest in stories that address complex, everyday realities in direct ways.

Speaking about his association, Ali Fazal shares, "Theatre has always been my first love, it's where I learned to listen, to observe, and to truly inhabit a character. Turning presneter for Mahanagar Jugnu feels like coming full circle. Amitosh has written something that is deeply intimate yet universally resonant. Le' Chakallas, with its spirit of rebellion and community, is the perfect home for a story like this. I'm excited to back voices that challenge, provoke, and move audiences in a way only live performance can."

Le' Chakallas is positioned as a fringe space that values raw ideas and direct dialogue, rather than polished spectacle alone. Organisers stress sensory engagement over passive viewing, summed up in the line, "Le' Chakallas is not just a festival, it is an experience designed to be felt."