Sukhanshi Bhandato Amhi by Abhiram Bhadkamkar

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The Play
Dr Shridhar is enjoying a successful, happy and rich lifestyle with his beautiful wife Mita and teenage son Akshay. He wants to build a multi-utility hospital as a future provision for Akshay. He eyes a central piece of land to build his dream hospital. But the land is reserved as children’s playground. He is prepared to use his political influence and monetary powers to acquire the land. And then enters Sada (Sadashiv) in Dr Shridhar’s life. Sada, a schizophrenic patient, was jailed for killing his own wife and son, in his schizophrenic state. Throughout the treatment period, Sada keeps on asking intriguing questions, and throws some challenging situations at Dr Shridhar and Mita. The play finishes on an interesting and unexpected turn.

The Director
Napolian Almeida was born in Vasai, Maharashtra, India in Christian family. Napolian’s father was a teacher in a Marathi medium school. His father always encouraged the children to read books. Napolian developed interest in reading books about drama and plays. He started performing at a very young age. The challenges and difficulties faced during the early years motivated Napolian to study more about acting and acquire formal training from workshops. Napolian’s theatre career then progressed by active participation in dramas for organizations like Nutan
Mandal, Jeevan Darshan, Jeevan Jyoti, St Xavier’s Club and currently in Australia with Marathi Association Sydney Incorporated. Though an engineer by profession, Napolian continued to follow his passion in acting and direction. He
has acted and directed many plays including one-act plays and has won awards.

The Playwright
Abhiram Bhadkamkar is an alumnus of National School of Drama. His acting in films has won him accolades. Abhiram has explored many possibilities of expression in various art forms, and created a niche for himself as a multidimensional artist. Abhiram is adroitly active in feature films, plays and literature. He has been successful in making a mark on the front of writing plays, novels and screen plays; conceiving films as a director; and expressing as an actor. His plays are performed in Hindi, Kannad and Guajarati in addition to Marathi theatre. His collection of stories and novels are published by publishers/ publications of repute. Some of his popular plays / production are Hasat Khelat, Pahuna, Jyacha Tyacha Prashna (Sawal Apna Apna), Ladi Najaria, Dehbhan, and Sukhanshi Bhandto Amhi.

The Group
The team of Sukhanshi Bhandato Amhi are members of the Marathi Association Sydney Incorporation (MASI). MASI is a non-profit community organisation established more than 27 years ago. MASI promotes Marathi language, culture and customs through Marathi Akashwani Sydney, Marathi school, and cultural events and drama activities. Theatre is one of the iconic interests of Marathi community. Members of Sukhanshi Bhandato Amhi are volunteers and come from various professions. Despite being busy with their professional career, they are passionate about Performing Arts and theatre activities. This passion and interest brings them together and keeps them energised and motivated even through the initial settlement challenges. Members of MASI have staged a drama activity almost every year. Few names to mention here are Ghashiram Kotwal, Mala Kahi Sangayachay, Durga Ban Gayi Gauri, etc.

Cast & Credits

Mrs Pradhan Apoorva Athawale
Dr Shridhar Napolian Almeida
Kamalabai and Suman Nilima Berde
Sadashiv Chinmay Abhyankar
Mita Manasi Gore
Akshay Mandar Pathak
Lights Makarand Bildikar
Background Music Nitin Kundap
Stage Ahirwad Athawale, Ganesh Gavde, Charudatta Bhadkamkar
Costumes Sanjyot Samudra, Olivia Almeida
Make-up Sanjyot Dongre
Playwright Abhiram Bhadkamkar
Direction Napolian Almeida

Manohar Khushalani

Manohar Khushalani

Prof. Manohar Khushalani is a former Visiting Faculty at Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi. The courses he taught were: Animation & Graphics, Non-Linear Editing for Film and Radio and Theatre Appreciation.  He has won a total of nine Excellence in Teaching awards for all the courses he has taught at IIITD Earlier he retired from Government of India as Director Environment Management, Central Water Commission and held many senior positions in the Government Based on a Belief that Culture and Environment are the two keys to global sustainability , Manohar Khushalani has launched two portals: A Portal on Environment and Water called One Vorld at url: www.onevorld.org and two Ezines on Culture called Stage Buzz at url: www.stagebuzz.in He has taught extensively in varied subjects such as Dam Safety, Instrumentation, CAD, IT, Animation, Theatre, Newspaper Editing. He has conducted Courses on Environment Management, Water Shed Development, Team Building and Personality Development. He was an Expert Member of Prasar Bharti’s Committee for Grading & Short listing Films for Telecast on all channels of Doordarshan.  He is a Radio Anchor for All India Radio and has moderated several programs for the Rajdhani Channel He is a well-known Theatre Actor/Director and Critic, has been involved in theatre since 1977. He has worked as an actor in over 50 plays with almost every leading director/Actor in the Country including Badal Sircar, Feisal Alkazi, Amal Allana, M.K. Raina, Anuradha Kapoor, Maya Rao, Manohar Singh, Prasanna, Rati Bartholomew and Sushmita Mukherji. He has been active in the social sector as a street theatre activist. As a member of Workshop Theatre, Theatre Union and Prayog, Khushalani has participated in street plays taking up major social issues such as dowry, bride burning, Sati, banned medicinal drugs and communalism. Dario Fo’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist and Can’t Pay Won’t Pay, both directed by him, received rave notices from critics and audiences alike. Other plays directed by him include Badal Sircar’s, Sagina Mahato and Boris Vian’s Empire Builders for Ruchika Theatre Group. Khushalani has also acted in a few films such as Sudhir Mishra's Hazaron Khwaishen Aisi , Shoojit Sircar’s Madras Café and Pradeep Krishan's Annie Gives Those Ones. He is an Animator & Graphics Designer and has directed a number of documentaries. He also held a number of Honorary positions and was President of North India Films Association, He was the Chairman of  Jury for UGC CEC Educational Films Competition and has been on their Preview Committee since last many years. He was on the preview committee of Door Darshan Channel 3, was a visiting Professor at National School of Drama, New Delhi, and Film & Television Institute of India, Pune, AJKMCRR, Jamia Milia Islamia and Professor in Media at FICT, Delhi  He has judged a large number of Drama Competitions and conducted a number of Theatre / Management Games Workshops with Institutions such as AIIMS, NTPC, CWPRS, NWA, Karve Nari Prakshishan Sansthan, FICT, IIT, MAMC, Gargi College, KNC, Tagore International School and Vivekananda School. He is a Theatre Critic for IIC Diary, has also been a Columnist with Midday and Pioneer Daily and wrote Column's Called Culture Cocktail and Footlights Respectively. He was also the Guest Editor for an issue on Folk Theatre of ICCR Journal Horizons. He has written for Times of Indian, Hindustan Times, Blitz, Hard News, Hindu Business Line, Theatre India & Art Times. He has designed dams and hydraulic structures for the Government. He is a programmer and has developed Engineering design software in Fortran. He is a co-author of Irrigation Practice & Design (Vol 1 to5 - 1500 pages) published by Oxford & IBH and sponsored by National Book Trust. He has been a Director, Environment and Sociology, at the National Water Academy, Khadakwasla and Director, Environment Management Directorate, Central Water Commission and Member Secretary, National Environmental Monitoring Committee for River Valley Projects. He was also Director of Instrumentation Directorate in the Dam Safety Organisation. He was Chief General Manager and Head of Water Resources at Scott Wilson and is an accredited consultant with numerous other organizations He is a Delhi Public School, BITS Pilani, IIT Delhi and FTI Pune Alumini. He was also the President of BITS Pilani Alumni Association, Pune.

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