zactrack mini brings Shakuni’s story into a new light at NSD Delhi
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
On 23 June 2026, acclaimed actor and television personality Shrivardhan Trivedi took to the stage at the National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi as Shakuni in Shakuni – Prashna Shesh Hai. Lighting designer Raghav Mishra used zactrack mini to automatically track the performers, allowing the production’s lighting to move naturally with the action and support its layered theatrical storytelling.
Some stories deserve to be seen in a new light: Presented at the National School of Drama, Shakuni – Prashna Shesh Hai re-examines one of the Mahabharata’s most complex and frequently misunderstood characters. Written, conceived and directed by Sangeet Natak Akademi Award recipient Daulat Vaid, the production looks beyond Shakuni’s familiar portrayal as a villain and instead explores the emotions, motivations and unanswered questions that shaped his journey.
To complement this layered approach to the character, lighting designer Raghav Mishra developed a dynamic visual language that could respond closely to the actors and the changing emotional atmosphere of each scene.
For the production, the lighting team led by Yash Gupta and Ajay K. Teja deployed a zactrack mini system, supplied by Hitech Audio & Image in India.
Giving a familiar story a new visual perspective
The lighting design played an important role in guiding the audience through Shakuni’s story.
Rather than treating the light as a static frame around the performance, the production used it as an active storytelling element. The lighting needed to follow the actors precisely, direct the audience’s attention and reinforce the dramatic shifts taking place on stage.
With performers moving throughout the playing area, conventional manually operated followspots would have required additional operators and constant coordination. zactrack mini enabled the team to automate this process while retaining creative control through the lighting console.
Automated followspotting made easy thanks to zactrack mini
Using zactrack mini, the production’s automated wash lights and followspot fixtures precisely tracked the performers’ positions in real time. This ensured that the correct performer remained illuminated while allowing the lighting team to concentrate on the wider visual composition of each scene.
The system was controlled through a grandMA3 Full-Size console, integrating performer tracking directly into the existing lighting workflow. Instead of restricting the performers to predetermined lighting positions, the tracking system allowed the light to respond naturally to the action on stage.
Shakuni – Prashna Shesh Hai demonstrated how theatre, lighting design and tracking technology can work together to elevate storytelling. With zactrack mini, technology remained quietly in service of the production – helping the audience follow the action, experience its emotional depth and see Shakuni in a new light.
Credits
Production: Shakuni – Prashna Shesh Hai
Shakuni: Shrivardhan Trivedi
Writer, Concept and Director: Daulat Vaid
Lighting Designer: Raghav Mishra
Lighting Team: Yash Gupta and Ajay K. TejaT
zactrack mini supplied by Hitech Audio & Image, India
Photos: © Sukesh Hickson Manchala