Drama Dropouts
A Cultural Wing of Astita Foundation
Drama Dropouts is more than a theatre collective; it is a living artistic community where theatre is not merely practised but lived every single day. Established in February 2025 under the Cultural Wing of Astita Foundation, the collective has rapidly emerged as one of Bareilly’s most vibrant and artistically driven theatre organisations.
At its heart, Drama Dropouts is built on a simple belief: art comes before everything else. Every rehearsal, every performance and every production is guided not by commercial ambition but by an unwavering commitment to artistic excellence, honest storytelling and cultural responsibility.
Today, the collective is home to nearly forty artists whose journeys span generations. The youngest members are children taking their first steps onto the stage, while the eldest are veteran performers in their seventies whose decades of experience continue to inspire younger artists. Together, they create an extraordinary artistic ecosystem where curiosity meets wisdom and tradition finds new expression through youthful imagination.
What truly distinguishes Drama Dropouts is the remarkable diversity of artistic experience within the group. Some members have devoted over four decades of their lives to theatre, while others are discovering the stage for the very first time. This unique coexistence of seasoned practitioners and emerging performers creates an environment where knowledge is constantly shared, mentorship happens naturally and every rehearsal becomes a classroom.
The collective brings together actors, directors, writers, musicians, designers, technicians, dancers, visual artists and theatre educators who believe that meaningful art is born through collaboration. Every individual contributes not only professional expertise but also an enduring passion for the performing arts. Drama Dropouts is, above all, a family of artists united by a shared love for theatre.
Leadership
The artistic vision of the collective is led by Ambuj Kukreti, whose four decades of theatrical experience continue to shape the group’s creative philosophy with discipline, sensitivity and artistic integrity.
Supporting this vision are:
- Raju Singh Chauhan (President) – trained in the tradition of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, bringing strong organisational leadership rooted in classical theatre values.
- Shubha Bhatt Bhasin (Vice President) – professionally trained in theatrical lighting design through the National School of Drama, Kolkata, under the mentorship of Sauti Chakravarti.
- Brijesh Tiwari (Secretary) – academically trained in theatre through Indira Gandhi National Open University, contributing to the collective’s educational and artistic development.
Together, they nurture an environment where creativity flourishes through discipline, collaboration and continuous learning.
Training & Artistic Lineage
The artistic foundation of Drama Dropouts is strengthened through training received from some of India’s most respected theatre practitioners, including Ranjit Kapoor, Hemasinh, Ashwath Bhatt, Tauqeer Alam Khan and Randhir Kumar.
Their mentorship has shaped the collective’s artistic language, encouraging rigorous rehearsal processes, aesthetic refinement and an uncompromising respect for theatre as both a craft and a social responsibility.
For Drama Dropouts, training is not an event but an ongoing journey of learning, observation and self-discovery.
Artistic Journey
The collective formally began its theatrical journey in May 2025 with Mohan Rakesh’s “Aashadh Ka Ek Din.” Both performances in Bareilly played to packed auditoriums, immediately establishing Drama Dropouts as a serious artistic force within the city’s cultural landscape.
In September 2025, the group organised the first Bareilly Natya Mahotsav, a seven-day national theatre festival that transformed Bareilly into a meeting ground for artists, audiences and theatre institutions from across the country.
The festival opened with the collective’s original production “Meeta! Punchlait Wale,” followed by productions from theatre groups representing Gorakhpur and the Shri Ram Centre Repertory, New Delhi. The festival concluded with Saurabh Shukla’s acclaimed play “Barf,” making the inaugural edition a remarkable artistic success.
Building upon this achievement, Drama Dropouts successfully presented the Second Edition (Winter Edition) of Bareilly Natya Mahotsav 2026, featuring its acclaimed productions The Strawberry Wines, Lottery and Dillagi.
One of the defining moments of the festival was the presence of celebrated actor Sharman Joshi, whose back-to-back houseful performances of “Raju Raja Ram Aur Main” became a memorable cultural event for the city.
Throughout the festival, senior theatre practitioners of Bareilly were honoured every evening before the performances, symbolising the collective’s deep respect for those who built the city’s theatrical legacy.
Roots
The founding members of Drama Dropouts were associated with Rang Vinayak Rangmandal (RVRM) for nearly fifteen years before establishing an independent artistic collective in 2025.
The organisation remains deeply grateful to Dr. Brijeshwar Singh, whose guidance, mentorship and unwavering faith continue to inspire its journey.
Vision
Drama Dropouts believes that theatre is not merely entertainment—it is a medium for dialogue, empathy and social transformation.
With every production, workshop and festival, the collective strives to create meaningful artistic experiences that connect generations, encourage cultural exchange and nurture new voices in Indian theatre.
As the organisation expands its creative journey into cinema, interdisciplinary collaborations and contemporary performance practices, it remains firmly rooted in the belief that art must always serve humanity before applause.
Driven by passion, sustained through discipline and united by an enduring love for the performing arts, Drama Dropouts continues to shape a new cultural identity for Bareilly—one performance, one artist and one story at a time.