ULKA MAYUR

I' m Ulka Mayur — a multihyphenate artist who works across theatre, film, storytelling, comedy, and movement. At the core of everything I do is a deep love for stories: collecting them, performing them, writing them, and shaping them into experiences that connect across time, space, and medium.

 

My work lives at the intersection of traditional Indian narratives and contemporary performance. I am a theatre director, writer, performer, filmmaker, and trained Kathak dancer. I’m also a performing storyteller and a comic — part folklorist, part philosopher, part observer of the wonderfully absurd. 

 

As a folklorist, I’ve spent years researching and reimagining lesser-known Indian folktales — especially stories of women, mystics, and rebel figures — and bringing them to life in styles that are entertaining, thoughtful, and deeply rooted in tradition. 

 

I founded Story Circus, a theatre and film company dedicated to creating original work rooted in Indian aesthetics, myths, and modern concerns. Every play produced by Story Circus is written, directed, and choreographed by me — a space where my academic research, visual language, and performance training come together in full force.

 

My performances range from intimate solo shows to ensemble musicals, from anecdotal stand-up comedy to stylized storytelling acts. On screen, too, I’ve extended my storytelling — directing music videos, documentaries, and digital series that explore new visual languages.

 

I hold a doctorate in literature, and have been honoured with the South Asia Laadli Media Award for Gender Sensitivity and the Udgam Women Achievers’ Award for my work’s artistic and cultural impact. But the real reward has always been the same: telling a story that finds its way into someone’s heart.