A cheque was presented to the theatre authorities on Tuesday in the city by veteran actor Shriram Lagoo and mayor Mohansingh Rajpal.
The 117-year-old Bharat Natya Sanshodhan Mandir received a grant of Rs58.60 lakh from the state government on March 31, which will be used for the renovation of the theatre and for the maintenance of its library.
A cheque was presented to the theatre authorities on Tuesday in the city by veteran actor Shriram Lagoo and mayor Mohansingh Rajpal, who also announced Rs1 lakh for the purpose.
Vijay Wankar, honorary president of the theatre said, “We are the oldest in Pune city. This is the first time that we are getting a huge grant. We have, in fact, demanded Rs1 crore, but received half of it. This will be used for the renovation of the building, but the stage and the seating arrangement for the audience will remain untouched.
“Also there is no parking lot for the theatre, due to which many avoid book the theatre, he said. Several vehicles block the road and pose inconvenience to residents and
commuters in the theatre’s vicinity. This aspect was also discussed with the state government officials.
“We have also demanded that air conditioning be installed in the theatre. This will happen once the state government provides us more funds,” said Wankar.
The grant reached the theatre after a wait of two years, said Wankar. “The state government had approved our proposal and also had issued a GR (government
resolution),” he added.
The theatre, built in 1894, entertained people with its first play, Sita Swayamvar, staged by Vishnudas Bhave. It was built by Dadasaheb Phatak, who was a theatre artiste.
The theatre nominal charge of Rs2,500 per session cannot take care of its monthly maintenance. Mostly students prefer practising here and plays and competitions too are held here.
“The theatre is mostly full from August to January due to a lot of competitions such as Purushottam and Firodia trophies. This theatre has given many hit plays and we would not like to break the tradition,” Wankar said.
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