India, Aug. 3 -- Theatre director Sunil Shanbag has a penchant for staging historical and semi-historical incidents to put the spotlight on contemporary times. Last year, he produced and directed the Utpal Dutt-written 'Barricade', which exposed Hitler's strategies for winning majority votes through a ruthless crushing of dissenters and a well-oiled propaganda machinery. This year, Shanbag will be showcasing 'The Horse', for Aadyam Theatre, an Aditya Birla Group initiative, which spoofs the Roman emperor Caligula's idiosyncrasies and streaks of violence. 'The Horse' is based on Hungarian playwright Julius Hay's play by the same name, written in 1962.

Shanbag first read Hay's play in 1982 and, ever since, he has wanted to stage it but did...