An award-winning writer, educator and philanthropist, Murty’s work has inspired numerous readers, both young and old. One of her most famous stories is ‘How I Taught My Grandmother to Read’.
It would indeed be a rarity to find someone in India that hasn’t heard of Sudha Murty and her famed short stories. An award-winning writer, educator and philanthropist, Murty’s work has inspired numerous readers, both young and old. One of her most famous stories is “How I Taught My Grandmother to Read”, owing to its valuable message of universal literacy. Another way of disseminating literacy is by spreading stories far and wide in a visual format. And this is where theatre company Storee Ki Boree comes in – by staging Murty’s short story in their latest Hindi play ‘क से कहानी’.
“In a quiet village of North Karnataka, Vijaya’s story begins — not in her youth, but at sixty. Rooted in values, nature and community, she lives a life seemingly full, yet something remains untouched. Every summer, her granddaughter Seeya visits, reading aloud stories from Kashi Yatre. Vijaya listens, dreams and lives through her words. But when left alone one day, she is struck by a truth that shakes her world — she cannot read, she cannot write. And for the first time, she feels caged in her own life. What follows is a quiet rebellion. A journey of yearning, grit and rediscovery; of setting herself free, one alphabet at a time, guided by the small but mighty hands of her granddaughter,” is how the story of क से कहानी is explained.
“This production celebrates the strength of the human spirit and reminds us: it’s never too late to learn, to grow or to begin again,” adds Shraddha Gupta, founder of Storee Ki Boree, a Delhi-based theatre collective which has crafted over 50 original productions. As Gupta explains, their plays blend storytelling, music and movement to create experiences that fuel life skills and emotional growth. Their most popular productions include Ramlila, which has done over 200 shows, Kabuliwala, Idgah, Gopi Gyne Bagha Byne, One Christmas Eve, Akbar Birbal, Krishna Katha and more.
“At Storee Ki Boree, we believe that stories have the power to connect, heal and inspire — one audience member and one moment at a time. It’s always more than just drama,” says Gupta. As a theatre lover and educator, Gupta made it her mission to amplify children’s voices by bringing out the best in them with love, values and the lessons that stories impart.
क से कहानी has been directed by Munish Sharma, a theatre actor and director from Bengaluru, currently based in Delhi. He has been part of over 30 theatre productions and has worked extensively in films as a casting director and actor. The dialogues are credited to Mrinal Mathur, while Kavitha – Vishwa Shilpi Art Consultation & Research Management, Bengaluru has aided with research and dramaturgy support.
After a successful run in May 2025, more shows of क से कहानी are lined up in July. Sunday Guardian spoke to the team at Storee ki Boree about the play, the vision behind their work and more. Excerpts from an edited interview:
Q. What appealed to you about this story?
Shraddha Gupta (SG): The story was recommended by our students. Sudha Murty’s stories are simple, easy to read and always touch a chord. We have always been drawn to stories that celebrate the strength in softness, and this one spoke to us instantly. ‘How I Taught My Grandmother to Read’ carries the kind of warmth and depth we love working with. It’s rooted in Indian values yet feels universal. The idea that learning can begin at any age, that roles can reverse between a grandmother and her granddaughter, and that reading itself can be an act of rebellion – all of that felt incredibly powerful to us.
What appealed most was the emotional truth of it. It reminded us of the women in our own families, of the quiet resilience of our grandmothers, and the spark of change in today’s children. It’s the kind of story that lingers long after it’s told.
Q. How was the experience of working on the production?
Munish Sharma (MS): Adapting and staging this story came with a deep sense of responsibility, and an instant, unshakable love for it. Casting became the most pivotal part of the process. We auditioned several actors between the ages of 45 and 70 to play the grandmother, and many young talents for the 8-year-old granddaughter. After an extensive search, we finally found our two.
We began only with the story and a few new characters we wanted to weave into their world. Before diving into the script, we spent two intensive weeks in rehearsal, creating each scene from the ground up. The actors improvised their own dialogues as we explored moments together. By the end of those two weeks, we had a raw but solid skeleton of the play.
Now, we needed to dress it with the right words. They had to be rooted, simple, yet layered and poetic. We gave the word ‘mithaas’ or sweetness, as a single-line brief to our dialogue writer, Mrinal Mathur. With his words and the music that followed, the world we had been shaping found its soul.
Q. Do you think the theme of literacy resonates in this day and age?
SG: At Storee ki Boree, we believe stories are a powerful way to reflect what society needs to hear and क से कहानी does that beautifully. The theme of literacy isn’t just relevant today – it’s urgent. But what makes this story special is that it doesn’t treat education as a system or a syllabus. It talks about learning as a right, a joy and a personal victory, no matter your age or gender.
It’s also deeply aligned with what we try to teach our students every single day. Our ethos has never been about chasing perfection. We tell our children that it’s okay to make mistakes. Fall down, get up, brush those clothes and face the lights again. That’s the real learning. It’s always the journey, never the destination. And that’s exactly what ‘K se Kahaani’ is about – the courage to begin, the humility to try, and the quiet power of not giving up.
Q. Will you be travelling with the play?
SG: Yes, that’s the plan. We hope to take ‘K se Kahaani’ to different cities and theatre festivals across India, and hopefully even beyond the country. This story holds something universal – something every generation, every culture can connect with. We genuinely believe that everyone should experience it as a reminder of the bonds we share, the dreams we hold and the quiet revolutions that happen inside our homes.
This is also India’s first officially licensed theatrical adaptation of a Sudha Murty story. Like all Storee ki Boree productions, this one has been built with heart, by a team that believes in the power of storytelling to build empathy, courage and connection. We hope it continues to travel and touch many more lives.
Our next shows will begin in July. Look us up on insta @storee_ki_boree or www.storeekiboree.com.
Noor Anand Chawla pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com.
