“Their lives are complex and not linear."
Jaivant Patel Company will bring its acclaimed dance theatre production ASTITVA to The Place in London on March 3 and 4, 2026.
The multi-award-winning international arts organisation is known for contemporary work shaped by British South Asian lived experience.
Its productions draw from a wide range of South Asian dance forms.
Artistic and Creative Director Jaivant Patel explores themes rarely centred in British dance or theatre spaces. South Asian LGBTQIA+ narratives have remained central to the company’s work for more than 20 years.
ASTITVA arrives in London after a successful 2025 tour, which included performances in Wolverhampton and Birmingham.
It also opened the new Bradford Arts Centre during Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.
The production follows earlier acclaimed works, including Yaatra, which explored sexuality, faith and spirituality. It also follows the 2023 award-winning Waltzing The Blue Gods.
Audiences have described ASTITVA as “absolutely breathtaking”.
One audience member highlighted its emotional impact, saying:
“It was quite emotional, seeing South Asian queer bodies on a stage… really resonated with me.”
Jaivant Patel said: “There hasn’t been enough exposure of South Asian queer men in creative storytelling, particularly in dance scenarios.
“ASTITVA explores the existence of being a British-Indian gay man in an unapologetic performance, as it doesn’t hide away from love, intimacy or sexuality.
“Their lives are complex and not linear.”
The production is structured across four episodes: Seeking, Desire, Acceptance and Love. Each chapter explores universal emotions through personal storytelling.
Themes include navigating sexuality under cultural expectations and the search for love and belonging. These experiences are presented with intensity and emotional precision.
Patel said: “ASTITVA has allowed me to further define my own creative parameters and make honest and unapologetic work within my rules.
“There is no work like this that I have seen or that currently exists in the UK.”
The work examines the tension between tradition, culture and identity. It reflects the realities of living authentically in spaces that often exclude queer South Asian voices.
Original music by Alap Desai is composed in Raag Darbari. Traditionally reserved for royal courts, the composition adds both grandeur and defiance.
Within this reimagined court, Patel positions queer South Asian stories as visible and empowered. The space becomes one of ownership and celebration.
Audiences are invited to view the performers as individuals or as one shared soul. The structure reflects different stages of a queer identity journey.
Patel said: “I want to ignite wider conversations around what South Asian queer lives are about.
“There are still lots of misconceptions, stereotypes and stigma surrounding these identities.”
“I want ASTITVA to celebrate South Asian gay identities.
“Usually LGBTQIA+ narratives tend to be portrayed as tragic, and centred around a victim mentality.
“Through ASTITVA, I wanted to reclaim and promote a positive image of what being a South Asian gay man is and means – free from stereotypes and expectations.”
Iqbal Khan, Associate Director of Birmingham Rep, praised the production after seeing it on tour, describing it as an “extraordinary show”.
Khan said: “These stories are not represented enough and when they are done with this degree of excellence and this degree of truth, you really feel the need to have them supported and platformed.”
ASTITVA aims to resonate beyond any single community. It reflects shared emotions around family, identity and belonging.
Loading ...