Celebrated actress and human rights advocate Sheena Chohan recently returned to her theater roots, serving as a judge for the street play competition at IIT Bombay’s iconic Mood Indigo festival. This moment marked a full-circle journey for Sheena, who began her career with five years of theatre under the mentorship of the acclaimed Arvind Gaur at Asmita Theatre.

In her early years, Sheena was deeply immersed in street theatre, performing in 21 impactful plays like Ek Maamuli Aadmi, Gandhi aur Ambedkar and many more. Each of these productions explored themes of basic human rights, including the right to non-discrimination, the right to life, women’s safety, and freedom of expression. Through these street performances, Sheena found her calling: using art to inspire social change and highlight the injustices in society.

“Street theatre is where my journey began,” Sheena said at Mood Indigo. “The voice of the artist is so important for society. The artist breathes life into the culture which keeps it alive. The artist’s voice is listened to above any other voice because it’s a voice that takes art and beauty and truth to messages that we care most about. And so I want to encourage anyone who is working in the arts to give it everything you’ve got and to speak your truth to change the world.”

Judging the 11 qualifying teams at Mood Indigo, Sheena reflected on how the performances mirrored the activism and passion of her own early work. She gifted each team a Human Rights Booklet from humanrights.com, empowering young artists to understand and advocate for fundamental rights.

Today, as the South Asian Ambassador for Human Rights, Sheena has reached over 170 million people with her message of equality and justice. Her emphasis on the right to education and non-discrimination continues to inspire audiences worldwide.

From her formative years in theatre to her impactful work in human rights, Sheena Chohan’s journey proves that art remains a powerful force for societal change. By returning to judge street plays at Mood Indigo, she reminded the next generation of artists of their vital role in shaping a better, more equitable world.

Sheena was seen in a striking Indo-Western look, pairing a red sari with a matching red jacket and golden pants that exuded power and empowerment; the outfit and look designed by Swtantra, was beautifully captured in photos and videos by Rajib Sarkar Creatives.