National School of Drama’s International Drama Festival-16th
Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2014 kicks off in the capital today, amidst much fanfare
and critical acclaim from theatre lovers which is set to enthrall all theatre
connoisseurs till 19th January.
In an elegant function, the 16th Bharat Rang Mahotsav was
inaugurated at the Kamani Auditorium in the capital, today. Present on the
occasion were Shri Manoj Mitra, Eminent Theatre Personality was the Chief
Guest, Prof. Kamlesh Dutt Tripathi, Eminent Scholar & Theatre Personality,
Guest of Honor & the inauguration was presided over by Shri Ratan Thiyam
Chairman, National School of Drama Society and Prof Waman Kendre, Director,
National School of Drama, among others. The inauguration was followed by a
theatre performance in Sanskrit Chhaya Shakuntalam based on Kalidasa’s
Abhijnana Shakuntalam directed by celebrated Theatre personality KN Panikkar.
The National School of Drama rings in 2014 with its annual
drama extravaganza in the form of International Festival of Drama - the 16th
Bharat Rang Mahotsav. Commencing from the 4th of January and culminating on
19th January, 2014, this year’s International Drama Festival highlights the
various faces of Indian theatre and brings to the capital 71 performances by
renowned theater groups from different parts of India and the world on same
platform so that theater aficionados as well as common men can watch and be
entertained and enriched by their performances.
This year, theatre groups from 17 states, representing all
the four regions of the nation – East, West, North South will stage their
performances on this international platform. Even countries like Sri Lanka,
Japan, Israel, China, Poland and Germany which are steeped in theatre culture,
brings in seven performances in this year’s international festival. The
festival will feature a complete kaleidoscope of various theatre styles
starting from Classical, including Modern, Western and finishing in Folk
Theatre; thus showing all the different faces of Indian Theatre to the
audience. If this was not all, Bharat Rang Mahotsav this time highlights
traditional folk theatre from about every part of the country bringing 11
performances from folk & traditional theatre, making it the ultimate
platform of interaction and education of theatre.
Prof. Waman Kendre, NSD Director, says, “NSD aims to bring
together all the theatre people of
India and abroad through Bharat Rang Mahotsav . Next time whole selection
criteria will be changed in the manner of visiting personally to city to town
to witness the best of the performances & select among them.”
“Bharat Rang Mahotsav is not only about urban theatre but it
also focuses on the rural and traditional theatre. Hence, NSD being the apex
theatre institution of the country is reaching out to every nook and corner of
the country where drama and theatre exists and survives. With such exchange of
knowledge and culture NSD aims to be the ultimate platform of theatre and
cultural exchanges in theatre not only in India but with other countries as
well where theatre is alive.”
As a parallel festival, Bharat Rang Mahotsav this year goes
out to the exotic North East with 6 plays this year.NSD this year touches the
hearts of Imphal and Guwahati with 3 international plays (from Israel, Japan
and Sri Lanka) and 3 Indian plays which includes a Tamasha. This parallel festival
will be on from 9th January, 2014 to the 16th January, 2014.
Shri Ratan Thiyam, Chairperson, National School Of Drama
Society says, “Theatre could not generate
its own huge funds since its inception through last many years. Now it’s
high time to invite the attention of the global theatre directors to invite
& present our rich theatre movements. ”
“Integrating theatre from all parts of the nation and also
taking it to varied audience has been an integral part of the vision of NSD for
Bharat Rang Mahotsav. North East has a culturally rich and potentially strong
theatre movement. Missing Bharat Rang Mahotsav’s presence in the region will be
a loss to the art and culture lovers of North East. Hence, the parallel
festival is targeted in the North East this year.”
Shri Manoj Mitra, Eminent theatre personality from Kolkata
& Chief Guest of today’s Inaugural
Function has appreciated that the task
which Shri Ratan Thiyam & Prof. Waman
Kendre has taken to theatre movement in
India, is highly appreciable .
Shri Sanjeev Mittal , Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture
to the govt of India has agreed to some of the vital views of chairman &
Director NSD to assure some extent that
he will forward all the views to the concerned ministry especially NSD as the
National Theatre Importance.
Apart from the theatre shows, Bharat Rang Mahotsav this year
will also be bringing the national theatre luminaries and their international
counterparts together on one platform. With this aim NSD has planned two
seminars this year where ideas will be exchanged freely and thoughts on topics
like ‘Global Exchanges, Local Encounters’ and on ‘Use & Abuse of Tradition
in Today’s Theatre’ will be discussed at length. Meet the directors an open
forum for the audience to interact with the director’s and Dr Kamlesh Datt
Tripathi interacts with K.N. Panicker will also be some of the major
interactive session in BRM 2014.
As part of Interactions on New Writings in Theatre, this
year BRM 2014, will see the launch of a book by Mahesh Dattani ‘Me & My
Plays’ published by Penguin India along with book reading session by various
eminent authors like Surendra Verma, Pratap Sehgal, Mannu Bhandari and Asghar
Wajahat are part of the festival. NSD this year has also planned a poster and
photographic exhibition on in house Shakespeare production throughout the
festival period. Film screening of films
based on theatre experiences and theatre process by Sanjay Maharshi will also
be one of the major attractions during the festival. Short films on mobile
theatre of Assam, Nautanki, Grotowski workshop and The Making of King Lear
adapted in Hindustani are catered for the audience.
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