Tesseract: A spellbinding world of illusion, dance and truth

When spectacle meets philosophy, the result can be nothing short of extraordinary. Tesseract – The Geometry of Truth, the visually immersive theatrical production presented by The Times of India, stands among the most ambitious and grand stage spectacles mounted in recent years. Blending dance, theatre, music, illusion and artificial intelligence into a seamless theatrical experience, Tesseract, conceptualised and visualised by Times & ET Evoke founder, Meera Jain, with direction and choreography by Shiamak Davar, takes audiences on a visually arresting and intellectually stimulating journey through humanity’s timeless quest to define truth across generations.

Since its premiere on March 13, the production has earned glowing praise from patrons of the arts who were among the first to experience it. Several have celebrated its scale, imagination and artistic vision, calling it “spectacular”, “electrifying” and even a “rare theatre event.” Some of them shared their impressions with us.

"Everything about the show was exhilarating — the sound, music, choreography and the direction. The show took us back in time, and I loved how it brought alive so many iconic moments from world history," Anil Kapoor said.

Echoing similar thoughts, screenwriter and lyricist Prasoon Joshi said, "What stayed with me is the thought that truth has to be sensed — you have to look beyond what is immediately visible. I also loved how popular culture was blended with something surreal, from Van Gogh to references of Michael Jackson and The Godfather theme. It creates a fascinating mix while still exploring the search for truth."

Taapsee Pannu added, "We don’t often get experiences like this in our country where scale and technology come together so beautifully. Watching it felt like revisiting those historical moments we’ve only heard about, read in newspapers, or studied in history books."

Huma Qureshi, sharing her views said, "I think Shiamak’s choreography is incredible and I have been seeing his work since I was a little girl. Everyone on stage was just so fabulous, and to see the different acts unfold so beautifully was an experience beyond all."

Feroz Abbas Khan, talking about the musical, added, "Tesseract is technically one of the finest productions that you will see anywhere in the world. Avant-garde in its presentation, deeply philosophical in its musings, it is multi-layered with meaning for a purpose. This production is a rare theatre event. The choreography and the production design is simply stunning."

Mandira Bedi noted, "It’s spectacular and a beautiful production. The first time when you watch the play you are focused on something else, so you need to watch it the second time, and each time you will get something different. Truth has many expressions and they’ve been beautifully expressed through visuals and dance, and the result is outstanding."

Lillete Dubey, who attended the premiere too, said, "Spectacular and visually stunning, with beautiful choreography by Shiamak Davar and a powerful soundscape, Tesseract explores relevant ideas, keeping in mind The Times of India’s motto: Let Truth Prevail. This is a much-needed reminder in our troubled times."

"I am extremely happy that initiatives like this continue to promote theatre and drama. I was born through theatre; before FTII, my journey began at NCPA, and I have always remained deeply fond of it. Today, I experienced something truly special," said Subhash Ghai.