Jaane Pehchaane Anjane
Anupam Kher Studio presents a Hindi musical comedy-drama written and directed by Gajendra Ahire, with music by Anu Malik and lyrics by Kausar Munir. Jay-Ho! is a co-presenter of the production’s closing North American tour performance in Boston.
About the Play
Jaane Pehchaane Anjane (also spelled Jaane Pehchaane Anjaane) is a Hindi musical comedy-drama that explores what happens when ordinary lives — lived in close proximity — remain quietly unfamiliar to each other. Set within a contemporary middle-class neighbourhood, the play follows a widow, a widower, a young paying guest, and a woman navigating the uncertainties of mid-life separation. On the surface, they are neighbours. Beneath that, they are strangers holding emotions, desires, and small private worlds that have never been fully shared.
Written and directed by National Award-winning filmmaker and playwright Gajendra Ahire, the production moves through sharp dialogue, grounded realism, music, and choreography to create a theatrical experience that is at once funny, tender, and deeply human. The play asks what it means to truly know the people we live beside — and whether it is ever too late to begin that conversation.
Produced by Anupam Kher Studio, Jaane Pehchaane Anjane features music composed by Anu Malik, lyrics by Kausar Munir, choreography by Chirag Aggarwal, costumes by Lehan Devadhia Tibrewal, and set design by Nitin Nerurkar.
Cast
Anupam Kher — Lead role. Two-time National Film Award recipient, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awardee, and one of Indian cinema’s most celebrated actors with over 500 films to his credit. Founder of Anupam Kher Studio and a respected voice in Indian theatre.
Swaroop Sampat — Lead role. Beloved actress and former Miss India, widely known for her portrayal of Hansa Parekh in the long-running Indian television series Khichdi and its sequels. A warm, deeply experienced stage and screen presence who brings both humour and emotional depth to the production.
Meghna Malik — Ensemble cast. A highly regarded television and theatre actress known for her powerful character roles across Indian television.
Maya Sharma — Ensemble cast. A multidisciplinary artist with a background spanning theatre, cinema, casting, documentary filmmaking, and Mithila painting. Her theatre journey began in 2004 and has included more than 20 stage productions.
Vikas Rawat — Ensemble cast (roles: Rahul and Ranjan). A theatre actor, singer, music composer, and instrumentalist who has performed in more than 500 stage shows across over 30 productions in India and internationally since 2012. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Information Science from Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering.
Shraddha Mandale — Ensemble cast. An award-winning visual artist, illustrator, and designer from Mumbai whose work has been recognised through CAG Awards and the Maharashtra State Art Award, and showcased internationally including at Lost and Found in Rotterdam and through the Creative Conscience Awards in London. She also designed the masks used in the production and illustrated its poster.
Creative Team
- Written and Directed by: Gajendra Ahire
- Produced by: Anupam Kher Studio
- Music: Anu Malik
- Lyrics: Kausar Munir
- Choreography: Chirag Aggarwal
- Costumes: Lehan Devadhia Tibrewal
- Set Design: Nitin Nerurkar
Gajendra Ahire is a National Award-winning writer, director, and playwright with a career spanning more than three decades across theatre, television, and cinema. His debut feature Not Only Mrs. Raut received the Rajat Kamal for Best Feature Film in Marathi at the 51st National Film Awards. Shevri, also written and directed by Ahire, won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi at the 54th National Film Awards. He has written and directed more than 50 films and brought his deeply humanist approach to Jaane Pehchaane Anjane.
2026 North American Tour Dates
Date: Saturday, September 5, 2026
City: Houston, TX
Venue: Stafford Centre
Date: Friday, September 25, 2026
City: Duluth, GA
Venue: Gas South Theater
Date: Sunday, October 4, 2026
City: New York, NY
Venue: Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
City: Naperville, IL (Chicago area)
Venue: Yellow Box, Naperville
Date: Sunday, October 11, 2026
City: Andover, MA (Boston area)
Venue: Collins Center for the Performing Arts ★ Closing Night
The Boston-area performance on October 11 is the closing night of the entire 2026 North American tour. Jay-Ho! and Dhoom Entertainment are the co-presenters of this final performance.
Boston Performance Details
Jaane Pehchaane Anjane — Closing Night, North America 2026
- Date: Sunday, October 11, 2026
- Venue: Collins Center for the Performing Arts, Andover, Massachusetts
- Presented by: Jay-Ho! and Dhoom Entertainment
- Supported by: The Treasury, Apna Bazar Farmers Market, Jamsan Management, Core Care Clinic, MAA Designs, Evergreen Adult Day Health Center & Adult Foster Care
- Community partners: India Association of Greater Boston, United India Association of New England
Jay Kumar, founder of Jay-Ho.Com, on the production: “His connection with audiences here is truly special, and this production with Swaroop Sampat and the full ensemble makes the October 11 performance even more meaningful.”
As Covered by Jay-Ho!
- Anupam Kher’s Jaane Pehchaane Anjaane Comes to Boston on October 11, 2026
- Jaane Pehchaane Anjaane in Boston: A Theatre Experience Beyond the Stage
- Gajendra Ahire: The National Award-Winning Writer Behind Anupam Kher’s New Musical
- Why Dance Is the Heart of Anupam Kher’s New Musical — Meet Choreographer Chirag Aggarwal
- Inside Jaane Pehchaane Anjane: Life Between the Lines with Vikas Rawat
- Maya Sharma’s Inspiring Journey to Anupam Kher’s Jaane Pehchaane Anjane
- Jaane Pehchaane Anjane: Shraddha Mandale’s Creative Journey
- Beyond Ammaji: Meghna Malik’s Journey From NSD to Anupam Kher’s Jaane Pehchaane Anjane
FAQs
Jaane Pehchaane Anjane (also written as Jaane Pehchaane Anjaane) is a Hindi musical comedy-drama written and directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Gajendra Ahire and produced by Anupam Kher Studio. The play stars Anupam Kher and Swaroop Sampat alongside an ensemble cast, with music by Anu Malik and lyrics by Kausar Munir.
The play stars Anupam Kher and Swaroop Sampat in the lead roles, alongside ensemble cast members Meghna Malik, Maya Sharma, Vikas Rawat, Shraddha Mandale, and Herman De Souza.
Jaane Pehchaane Anjane is written and directed by Gajendra Ahire, a National Award-winning filmmaker, playwright, and screenwriter known for his acclaimed work in Marathi cinema and theatre.
Set in a contemporary middle-class neighbourhood, the play follows a widow, a widower, a young paying guest, and a woman navigating mid-life separation. It explores themes of loneliness, companionship, identity, modern relationships, and the hidden emotional worlds of people who seem familiar on the surface yet remain strangers within.
The 2026 North American tour includes performances in Houston (September 5), Duluth (September 25), New York (October 4), Chicago-area Naperville (October 10), and Boston-area Andover (October 11 — closing night). The Boston performance is presented by Jay-Ho! and Dhoom Entertainment at the Collins Center for the Performing Arts.
The Boston-area performance takes place on Sunday, October 11, 2026, at the Collins Center for the Performing Arts in Andover, Massachusetts. This is the closing night of the entire 2026 North American tour. Jay-Ho! is a co-presenter of this performance.
The music is composed by Anu Malik with lyrics by Kausar Munir. Choreography is by Chirag Aggarwal.
The production is produced by Anupam Kher Studio. The Boston performance is presented by Jay-Ho! and Dhoom Entertainment.
