It won't be an exaggeration to say that Mumbai has one of the most, if not the most, thriving theatre circuits in the country. But how often does one get to witness the who's who of the community together, on one stage? Almost never. This month-end promises to change the idea in a manner which even veteran theatrewallahs would call ambitious. As part of the 25th anniversary celebrations of their theatre group Rage, Shernaz Patel, Rahul daCunha and Rajit Kapur are reviving their initiative, 36 Ghante, which was staged in 2005. A creative marathon, it invites 60 artistes to create 10 short plays on a given theme — all within 36 hours. Proceeds from the evening will go towards honouring the unsung heroes of theatre. "This happens around the world, often as a charity event. I had read about it and we tried it out at the Prithvi Festival, 12 years ago. It's incredible bringing all the theatre people together for one night," says Patel when we catch up with her and Kapur at Prithvi Theatre.

Rahul daCunha, Shernaz Patel and Rajit Kapur (seated) are organising the initiative after 12 years. Pics/Sneha Kharabe