Saturday, January 4, 2014

16th Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2014 kicks off in the capital amidst fanfare and critical acclaim

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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