NEW DELHI, India – The annual theatre festival of Indian National School of Drama will begin on February 1 and will conclude on February 18 with the theme “Breaking Borders.” This festival that is attended by a large number of tourists around the world is also known as Bharat Rang Mahotsav.
Theatre groups and theatre artists from 12 countries are participating in this biggest drama festival of India including from Switzerland, Norway, Germany, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Except Pakistan, all countries of the sub-continent are attending this event.
This 18-day event will offer 69 plays that will be performed on 7 different stages, making for 150 performances. For the first time in its history, the festival will be traveling to four Indian cities – Agartala, Jabalpur, Aurangabad, and Panaji – during these days. Five plays each will be staged in every city.
National School of Drama Director Waman Kendre, while talking to the Indian media, said that the theme of festival was not touching on the contentious border issues, but was working at a broader framework of creating flexibility in the state of performing arts.
He believed that border divides should be removed for the theatre to flourish at the performing stage.
According to the Indian media, the Union Culture and Tourism Minister, Mahesh Sharma, will inaugurate the festival which will open with Kendre’s “Ghazab Teri Adaa” at the Kamani Auditorium. Eminent stage actor, Om Puri, will be present as the chief guest.
The festival will also pay tribute to theatre luminaries like Shambhu Mitra, Begum Akhtar, and Veenapani Chawala.
The Living Legend Series will also be inaugurated at the festival, where Kathak maestro Pandit Birju Maharaj, eminent photographer Raghu Rai, and writer Krishna Sobti will interact with the audience.
This festival is very popular among European tourists, because it is a unique opportunity to see so many different styles of the performing arts and dances in one event that is not possible otherwise.
WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE:
- National School of Drama Director Waman Kendre, while talking to the Indian media, said that the theme of festival was not touching on the contentious border issues, but was working at a broader framework of creating flexibility in the state of performing arts.
- This festival is very popular among European tourists, because it is a unique opportunity to see so many different styles of the performing arts and dances in one event that is not possible otherwise.
- According to the Indian media, the Union Culture and Tourism Minister, Mahesh Sharma, will inaugurate the festival which will open with Kendre's “Ghazab Teri Adaa” at the Kamani Auditorium.
