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ShareA festival showcases some of the best in Indian language theatre. Archita Wagle has details
The Rang Sangam Vasant Natyotsav at the Bombay University campus opened with a dazzling tamasha performance by Raghuveer Khedekar, Kantabai Satarkar and their troupe from Ahmednagar. The audience sat in a tent, the way a real tamasha audience would. According to Waman Kendre, Director, Academy of Theatre Arts, who is organising the fest, this would give "the feel of real India". And that is just what the event is all about.
In its fourth year now, put together by the Academy of Theatre Arts, Mumbai, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi, Delhi, Rang Sangam Vasant Natyotsav is a multi-lingual national theatre festival showcasing 12 plays in various languages, like Kannada, Marathi, Oriya and Dogri. Kendre's explains that "Theatre is the language of emotions, but we provide brief synopses of the plays."
PS Chari, director, Kem Makanji Kyan Chalya, agrees, "I have staged my play at various places like Kolkata and the response has been fanstastic." C Basavalingaiah, director of Mahamaayi, is cautious: "Though my plays have generally been well received, I don't know how Mahamaayi will fare in Mumbai".
The organisers have invited 'second generation' directors to present their works this year. "Second generation is a grouping of directors who have been around for 25 years or more in the industry, not the stalwarts, like Habib Tanvir. They are doing outstanding work at present," Kendre says.
The plays have been selected after careful scrutiny. "Kem Makanji Kyan Chalya was probably chosen as a lot of critics had praised it for its production value," says Chari. Basavalingaiah feels, "My play was selected for the relevance of the topic".
A special play, Khel, was put together by the students and faculty of Academy of Theatre Arts to mark World Theatre Day on March 27. The fest will end with Zulva, directed by Waman Kendre. As he says, "No two plays in a single language are staged together."
Rang Sangam Vasant Natyotsav
March 29: Mahamaayi (Kannada), Marathi Bhasha Bhavan, 4.30 pm; Harishchannar ki Ladai (Hindi), Muktakash Rangmanch, 7.30 pm.
March 30: Kem Makanji Kyan Chalya (Gujarati), Marathi Bhasha Bhavan, 4.30 pm; Rattdi Ratt (Dogri), Muktakash Rangmanch, 7.30 pm.
March 31: Zulva (Marathi), Marathi Bhasha Bhavan, 7.30 pm.
