Here We Go Again: A Glance into Ashoka’s Rendition of a Beloved Musical

On 22nd March, 2026, the Black Box was covered— chairs, corners, floors and all— with viewers eager to be transported to sunny Kalokairi, curious to see what flavour the student production at Ashoka University would add to one of the most popular musicals, Mamma Mia.

Soft blue light enveloped the stage as the overflowing room fell quiet. Ananya Gaunekar  (UG’28) as the voice of Sophie arrested every member of the audience – it was filled with such wonder as she sang “I Have A Dream” that I was convinced that she truly was caught up in her own fantasies, and we, the audience, were only along for the ride. As the musical opened with this song, I was somehow convinced that the entire play would hinge on the feelings it evoked, feelings I couldn’t grasp completely until the story began to develop.

Sophie is all set to marry her sweetheart, Sky (Tatenda Kasitomo, UG’27) on the idyllic island of Kalokairi, Greece, when she finds a journal kept by her mother the year she was conceived. Shockingly, she finds that there are three possible candidates who could be her fathers, and she excitedly invites all three of them to her wedding in hopes of finding the father she never knew. Ananya’s portrayal of Sophie exudes naivete and charm, bringing a brighter, bubblier version of the character to an audience familiar with Amanda Seyfried’s interpretation. This version of Sophie seemed to endear every witness, as every other line elicited a giggle from the audience. Whether this was because of Sophie’s sprightly dialogue or Gaunekar’s masterful delivery, the resulting amalgam was elevated beyond each.

Sophie’s mother, Donna (Aastha Burman, UG’29), receives a rude shock when three of her past partners arrive at her hotel: Harry Bright (Chaitanya Gupta, UG’29), Bill Anderson (Tanish Parmar, UG’27), and her old sweetheart, Sam Carmichael (Advay Almal, UG’27). While Aastha made a very convincing Donna, the mics unfortunately could not do her vocals justice. This was a recurring event throughout the play, as the spell of beachy Greek romance was shaken when people strained to make out some of their favourite songs: “Super Trouper” had some unfortunate fluctuations in volume and a huge chunk of “I do, I do, I do,” remained a whisper in the dark. “Gimme Gimme Gimme” a better sense of hearing, please. However, nothing could shade Donna in her full glory during “The Winner Takes it All” as Aastha’s evocative vocals moved the audience to cheer before the last note had ceded.

The story reaches a head when each of the three men confess to Sophie that they’re her father, and she collapses from the stress of it all in the middle of her bachelorette party— who was telling the truth? The mounting pressure she feels is only heightened by the supporting vocals directed by Aditi Ponnammal (UG’27), Shriya Sanjay (UG’27) and Tanisha Viegas (UG’27). The spiraling formations of the dance team choreographed by Jannya Pathak (UG’28), Mrida Arora (UG’28), Trisha Khandelwal (UG’27), and Virika Khemka (UG’28), infuse the scene with a palpable tension as their performance climbs in intensity and speed. The ordeal also creates a shift in Sophie; from here on out, her naivete begins to fade, replaced by vulnerability that clears her path to maturity.

After the fallout from Sophie confronting her mother about not wanting to get married, the “Slipping through my Fingers” music number was a tender moment for the audience, as mother and daughter reconcile. I find it worth noting that since the audience included some parents of the cast, who resonated with watching their children leave the nest, the already emotional climate of the scene was thickened further. The play diverges from the movie here, showing flashbacks from Sophie’s childhood with Donna in the form of interpretive dance. I thought this moment added a reflective dimension to the play that wasn’t there in the movie; after all, sweet moments are always sweeter in hindsight.

While it’s true that the content of the play was loyal to the original storyline, it couldn’t have impressed as much as it did without the smart stylistic decisions made. The lighting in particular, controlled by Gopika Sunil (UG’26) and Tripti Nair (UG’27) was a stroke of brilliance. From the angelic blue at the beginning that dared the audience to dream, to the romantic purple-pink during “Super Trouper” that raised goosebumps— when paired with voice, the lighting intensified the emotion already on the stage. The most technically interesting moment, perhaps, was the flash of light at each Aha! in the “Voulez Vous” dance number, cresting with the arms of the dancers as they circled around Sophie, who was ironically in no position to find an “Aha moment” as to the identity of her father.

For the source material of Mamma Mia being a romantic beachside comedy, the humor was handled especially well. Of course, having Sophie’s “fathers” gawk at each other in a mimic of the Spiderman meme tickled the majorly Gen-Z audience in a moment diverging from the original script. A huge part of the comic relief was the repartee between Rosie, portrayed by Pooja Balasubramanian (UG’26) and Tanya, acted by Anika Masaldan (UG’26). It's interesting to think about whether the humor comes from the clash in their character archetypes. A mature it-girl who’s married 5 times already, and a free spirit who never met the right one – their squabbles were great food for laughter. Well interpreted by Masaldan and Balasubramanian, these characters seemed more multidimensional than in the original movie. 

At the wedding, Sophie chooses to trust that her mother would be okay on the island and follow her own path. Ironically, when she chooses the freedom that youth affords her, Sophie is at her most mature, and Sky is happy to explore that with her. Instead, Donna and Sam decide to tie the knot. As happy as the moment was, I couldn’t help feeling disappointed in the complete lack of chemistry that the actors of Donna and Sam had with each other. Burman’s performance of Donna was so winning and vibrant that Almal’s acting couldn’t keep pace and fell flat in comparison. As a result, the wedding was a beautiful moment to watch, not really because of the appeal of the happy couple, but simply because it was a wedding. Thus, the story gets wrapped up with the traditional happy ending— everyone with their sweetheart and all’s right with the world.

The evening came to a close with Sophie, once again, singing “I Have a Dream.” But, by now, it's apparent that this dream has shifted. The scene has not just her this time, but also Sky. From here on out, Sophie dreams not of finding her father and completing her family, but of forging her own future with Sky. As we reached the curtain call, I found myself smiling at how apt it was— in Sophie’s fantasy, I’d found my own escape from reality, if only for a little while. From the thunderclaps resounding from the audience’s applause, it seems to have been a pleasant ride.

(Edited by Teista Dwivedi and Giya Sood.)