While fetching water from the river, Khatoon discovers a massive frying pan—known in the local Purgi language as a Ltsama—drifting downstream. Despite her husband’s warnings, that the owner will eventually come searching for it, Khatoon insists on bringing the mysterious object home.
A year passes without a claimant, and the family begins using the Ltsama to roast barley. The results are extraordinary; the aroma and quality of the roast become the talk of the village. Khatoon is transformed into a local celebrity, earned the nickname ‘Ltsama Khatoon,’ and is invited to every home to share her culinary magic.
However, her fame sparks a bitter rivalry. The village tailor, once the most respected craftsman in town, feels sidelined by a woman and her cookware. Consumed by envy, he manipulates Khatoon’s daughter into revealing the pan’s origin. Hoping to humiliate Khatoon, the tailor travels to distant lands to find the ‘rightful’ owner.
He eventually locates a rich merchant who claims the pan as an ancestral heirloom. However, the tailor’s plan backfires. Touched by the family’s care for the object, the merchant rewards Ltsama Khatoon with a valuable piece of land. The tailor returns home with nothing but his own lingering jealousy.
Director :
Kachoo Ahmad Khan is a pioneering cultural figure from Ladakh and the first graduate from Kargil to train at the National School of Drama. A State Awardee, he has played a crucial role in connecting Himalayan folk traditions with mainstream Indian cinema. He is the visionary founder of RANTHAG (Regional Art & Theatre Arts Group), Kargil’s first theatre troupe, through which he has written and directed numerous plays in the Purgi language to preserve local culture and identity. Beyond theatre, he has actively collaborated with the Kargil District Administration on significant social initiatives, including COVID-19 awareness drives and Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav campaigns. Expanding his artistic journey into mainstream entertainment, Khan has appeared in notable projects such as the web series- The Family Man, and films, like. Aiyaary, Mumbai Saga, IB71, Sector 36, and Taskaree. By blending regional storytelling with prominent cinematic roles, he continues to represent the spirit and stories of Ladakh on national and global platforms.
Director’s Note
In the Purgi language, ‘Ltsama’ refers to a massive frying pan—an object that becomes the heart of our story. Ltsama Khatoon is rooted in the soil of a mountain village, yet its emotions are universal. It explores how ordinary lives are transformed by unexpected fortune and how communities respond to sudden changes.
Wealth here isn’t measured in coins, but in the crackle of a fire and the smell of roasting barley. When our heroine pulls this metallic mystery from the river, she finds a way to bring her village together. But where there is light, there is shadow. Enters the tailor, whose pride is as sharp as his needles. Driven by jealousy, he travels far to find the ‘true’ owner, hoping to strip Khatoon of her fame.
However, the river of fate has its own current. In his attempt to punish her, the tailor leads a rich owner to her door—only for the family’s honesty to be met with a miraculous reward: one kanal of land. The play reminds us that while jealousy travels a thousand miles to do harm, a simple heart will always find a harvest of blessings.
Group :
RANThAG (Regional Art and Theatre Arts Group) is a pioneering cultural organization in Ladakh and the first—and currently only—nationally registered theatre group based in Kargil under the Society Act. Founded by Kachoo Ahmad Khan, the first alumnus from the region to graduate from the National School of Drama, the group was created to bridge traditional Ladakhi heritage with contemporary artistic expression. Along with a committed team of artists, Khan established RANThAG as a dynamic platform for storytelling and cultural dialogue. The group presents stage productions that explore themes such as tradition versus modernity, involves in directing films portraying the unique essence of Ladakhi life, and conducts workshops and cultural programs to nurture local talent. By foregrounding narratives of social change and identity, RANThAG empowers the people of Kargil to reflect on their society and cultural roots. Through meaningful performances and community engagement, the organization continues to strengthen regional identity while inspiring lasting cultural awareness and artistic growth.