Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Five theatrical productions from Madhya Pradesh have been selected for Asia’s biggest theatre festival - Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2024 (Bhrangam). Of these, two plays are from Bhopal. Organised by National School of Drama (NSD), the 23rd edition of International Theatre Festival of India will be held in 14 cities including Delhi, Patna, Mumbai, Pune, Bhuj, Ayodhya, Mathura, Cuttack and Srinagar from February 1-21, 2024.
The selected plays include Kanupriya (Vihaan Socio Cultural Wellbeing Society, Bhopal) directed by Sourabh Anant, Live-in (Anveshan Theatre Group, Sagar) directed by Jagdish Sharma, Kahan Kabir (Rang Vidushak Group, Bhopal) directed by Bansi Kaul, Basaman Mama (Indrawati Natya Samiti, Sidhi) directed by Rajnish Kumar Jayaswal, Shakuntala Maach (Shadow Cultural and Social Welfare Society, Ujjain) directed by Hafeez Khan and Babulal Deura under Indian and folk plays categories.
A scene from a play ' Kahan Kabir' |
Sanjay Shrivastava, an actor associated with Rang Vidushak, told Free Press that they would be staging their play in Vijayawada on February 10 with 24 artistes. “It is a musical play based on Kabir’s philosophy and was staged for the first time in 1998 under the direction of Bansi Kaul. It is a 90-minute musical play, which has held 70 shows so far,” he said.
Shrivastava said 10 productions of Rang Vidushak were staged at Bhrangam so far. “Some of our productions have been staged twice at the fest,” he said.
For Saurabh Anant, director of Kanupriya, the selection of the play for the fest is a matter of happiness and pride. “It is the first production of Vihaan Socio Cultural Wellbeing Society, the first play directed by me,” he said. The group will be staging the play with 20 artistes in Bhuj in Gujarat on February 7. “The play was staged for the first time at Bharat Bhavan in 2011,” he said.
MPSD also to figure
Madhya Pradesh School of Drama has been picked up for presenting its production under a new category of theatre training institution. Director Tikam Joshi said 11 students of theatre lab would stage an experimental play based on Rabindranath Tagore’s plays at NSD on February 5.
