From Roysten Abel’s A Hundred Charmers
\| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Bejewelled howdahs on stately elephants, ornately patterned flying carpets and the simple snake charmer with his commonplace basket housing terrifying cargo. India of yore had a romance that has since faded into fables, but one can catch an echo of that past with Roysten Abel’s A Hundred Charmers, which will be staged in Bengaluru onJuly 26.

The musical which debuted in 2014, features 100 snake charmers performing classic and contemporary tunes on the been, the traditional wind instrument of their profession crafted out of a hollowed-out gourd and bamboo reeds.

According to Roysten, the idea for this show grew out of a conversation with Bahar Dutt, journalist and environmental activist. “Bahar was closely associated with Friends of Snakes, an NGO, and worked with charmers who were left unemployed when their snakes were taken away to be rehabilitated. Given their skills, she was trying to get them jobs at zoos, snake parks and places where they could utilise their knowledge of antivenom.”

Since Roysten was always collaborating with out-of-work street performers, jugglers, acrobats and magicians, Bahar asked if he could do a play with snake charmers to get their message across. “While I wasn’t sure about casting them in a play, I was quite taken by their instrument, the been. Bahar asked me to meet the snake charmers in Molarbandh, a village in Delhi.”

Roysten Abel
\| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“I met about five or six of them there and when I suggested creating a show with 100 of them playing these instruments, they looked at me as if I was crazy,” laughs Roysten, adding their incredulity stemmed from the fact the been is a solo instrument and gathering even a handful of them would be a task.

Despite the naysayers, Roysten began working with about 30 charmers and admits that it was not only difficult, but also slow work. However, with time and by word of mouth, “I figured out a workable plan, and we eventually managed to get a 100 charmers”.

“In fact, the show was called A Hundred Charmers even before we met the quorum,” he says.

A Hundred Charmers took about two years to put together and comprises melodies ranging from traditional pieces and Bollywood numbers to Scottish tunes and more. The evening will also include anecdotes and lived experiences narrated by Roysten.

“I will be sharing how we got the snake charmers together for the first time and how I scrambled to get 100 passports ready in three months’ time when we were invited to Naples to perform at Italy’s most prestigious arts festival, a few years ago. There were many obstacles and associated challenges, but AHundred Charmers was staged at the Teatro di San Carlo, one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world.”

From Roysten Abel’s A Hundred Charmers
\| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“Expect an evening of story telling and music,” says Roysten. “It is a wonderful sound that emerges out of this traditional instrument; when in unison and in such a large number, it is almost celestial.”

And when these 100 charmers are not mesmerising audiences with their music, Roysten says they are engaged in various roles and perform at virtual events as well.

A Hundred Charmers directed and narrated by Roysten Abel, will be staged at the Prestige Centre for Performing Arts, on July 26 at 7pm. Tickets from ₹899 available on BookMyShow

Published - July 23, 2026 10:38 am IST