15 March,2026 09:21 AM IST | Mumbai | Tanisha Banerjee
Sarang Sathaye, Paula McGlynn, and Swanand Tendulkar bring together RADA 2026 for the Marathi community for the first time ever
For years, Marathi pop culture has been building a parallel universe online with sketch comedy, rap battles, viral Reels, and fiercely loyal audiences. Now, that digital energy is stepping off the screen and onto a physical stage. Later this month, Bharatiya Digital Party (BhaDiPa) will launch RADA 2026, Maharashtra's first large-scale Marathi pop culture festival in Pune.
Scheduled for March 28 and 29, the two-day event promises a mix of comedy, music, hip-hop, and digital storytelling, bringing together creators who have shaped Marathi Internet over the past decade. The lineup reflects the range of that ecosystem, from digital stars like Prajakta Koli to viral composer Yashraj Mukhate, alongside comedians, rappers, and storytellers who have built massive audiences online.
Creative director Sarang Sathaye says the idea grew organically. "We have been doing live shows for a while, and it started with stand-up comedy," he explains, "As soon as we did that, hip-hoppers started reaching out, saying Marathi hip-hop is breaking out. BhaDiPa has been sort of at the centre of this ecosystem for pop culture."
Between Sathaye's theatre background, festival director Paula McGlynn's experience in Marathi entertainment, and producer Swanand Tendulkar's work in live events, the team realised they had both the network and the infrastructure to bring these communities together.
"We've been in this parallel industry of Marathi entertainment for the last decade," McGlynn says, "We have seen the space shift entirely from daily soaps, a few commercial films, and theatre to a complete underground movement. Creators are popping up, Marathi faces are breaking big nationally and internationally. RADA is our way of creating an aspirational stage to present the best work happening right now."
The festival's name carries its own playful energy. Sathaye, who coined it, says the slang word has deeper meaning than its reputation for chaos might suggest. "The association of ârada' is usually about a fight, but it actually means a rumble," he says. "I grew up watching WWF and there's a big event called the Royal Rumble where all the top stars come together. For me, RADA is that rumble where the biggest names gather. And it also means to party hard."
The organisers hope the festival can shift how younger audiences and creators themselves view Marathi culture. "For a long time, artistes felt they had to perform in Hindi or English first," McGlynn says, "But when we started doing Marathi stand-up, many comedians shifted because they realised there was a huge audience.
What this festival intends to do is show that you can create in your mother tongue and still reach a large crowd."
Tendulkar adds that the demand for such a space has been visible for years. "Marathi people do spend on live events. But there was no specific event as such that could cater to these audiences. So that's when Sarang and I discussed a specific Marathi community festival where we target not only the fans, but also allow the creators to get a platform," Tendulkar says.
RADA, in many ways, is an attempt to build exactly that. A weekend where the Marathi Internet meets its audience face to face, and a growing cultural movement finally gets its own stage.
Day 1 Hip-hop focus: The first day leans into the rise of Marathi hip-hop, spotlighting the artistes and creators who have pushed the genre into the mainstream.
Day 2 M-pop celebration: The second day shifts to Marathi pop music (M-pop), highlighting its melodic, mainstream side and its influence on contemporary Marathi culture.
Grand finale: The festival closes with a headline performance by Avadhoot Gupte, often considered the father of Marathi pop, symbolically linking the genre's origins with its new generation of creators.
