Playwright: Ajay Shukla
Direction: Chittaranjan Tripathy
Group: NSD Repertory Company, Delhi
Language: Hindi
Duration: 2 hrs 20 mins

The Play
Emperor Shah Jahan invites the chief engineer of CPWD, Guptaji and shares his dream of building a monument in the memory of his late, wife, Mumtaz. After much deliberation he comes to the conclusion that a mausoleum be built in her memory and he wants it to be named Taj Mahal.
Guptaji, a shrewd, corrupt, official, entraps the Emperor in the snares of bureaucracy and red- tapism leading to many hilarious situations. The ridiculous bureaucratic procedure takes 25 years only to float the tender notice of Taj Mahal.
TajMahal Ka Tender is one of the successful satires of contemporary times.

Director’s note
The state is the best creation of man as it is not an imitation of anything that existed before. With the emergence of the State, a primitive society is transformed into a civil society, leading to the germination of division of labour, division of time, rank, file, red-tape etc., thereby giving birth to official dom. TajMahal ka Tender is a satire on rank –file, red tapism and the sad state of officialdom. It focuses on the organizational diseases that India is suffering due to – corruption, idleness, favoritism, arrogance and insensitivity to public needs.

The Director
Chittaranjan Tripathy graduated from National School of Drama in 1996 with specialization in acting. He was also enrolled in the musical theatre department in the Guildford School of Acting (GSA), Guilkdford, UK, under the Charles Wallace fellowship.
Shri Tripathy has directed plays for many leading theatre groups and repertory companies including the National School of Drama Repertory Company, the Shri Ram Centre Repertory and the Sahitya Kala Parishad Rang Mandal. Some of his most popular plays include TajMahal Ka Tender with NSD Repertory Company, Capitol Express, Arre Mayavi Sarovar with SRC Repertory; Ladi Nazaria and Humare Sheher Ke Romeo Juliet with Sahitya Kala Parishad Rang Mandal.

The Playwright
Born in 1955, at Agra Ajay Shukla is a post–graduate in history from Lucknow University and then joined Indian Railway Traffic Service. His play, Doosra Adhyaay was directed by Ram Gopal Bajaj in 1998, and was broadcast from All India Radio later the same year. In 1993 he received the Delhi Sahitya Kala Parishad’s Playwright – Award for Doosra Adhyaya and Mohan Rakesh Samman for his play Tajmahal Ka Tender. In 2000 he received the National Award by All India Radio (Akashvani) for his play Hum Honge Kaamyab.

The Group
Established in 1964 with a membership of only four persons, the Repertory Company is the regular performing wing of the School. It was set up with the dual purposes of establishing professional theatre on one hand and continuing with regular experimental work on the other. Over the years it has produced a variety of plays ranging from stylized musicals to realistic contemporary Indian drama to translations and adaptations of foreign plays. In addition, several eminent persons of national and international repute have worked with the Company, and it has performed over one hundred and eighty one plays by ninety-eight playwrights and has worked with ninety directors. Quite a few of its actors have emerged as celebrities in theatre, cinema and television. The Company has toured extensively in India and abroad. It is celebrating fifty years of its existence this year.

Cast & Credit
Shahajahan                                            Shahnawaz Khan
Gupta                                                     Suresh Sharma
Sudhir                                                     Ashutosh Banerjee/ Virendra Singh
Bhaiyaji                                                   Deep Kumar
Mahila Neta                                            Sampa Mandal/ Shruti Mishra
Kanhaiyalal                                             Sikandra Kumar
Murarilal Sharma                                    Naveen Singh Thakur
Shethi                                                     Shubham Pareek
Ladka                                                     Rahul kumar
Ladki                                                      Sakshi Sharma
Aurangzeb                                             Parag Baruah
Mummo/ Mumtaz                                   Snehalata S. Tagde
Darbari                                                   Shubham Pareek, Vishveshvar M. Gondhali, Manish Dubey,                                                                       Virendra Singh, Naresh Kumar
Jahanara                                                Anamika Sagar
Shaktiman                                              Jitu Rabha
Four Friends                                           Virendra Singh , Manish Dubey, Vishveshvar M. Gondhali,
Naresh Kumar
Dancer                                                    Aparna Menon
News Paper Hawker                               Shruti, Sampa, Aparna Menon, Snehalata S. Tagde
Other                                                      Palak Jasrotia

Production Co-ordinator                         Sukumar Tudu
Set Designer                                          Pankaj Jha
Set Execution                                         Ram Pratap, Manoj Kumar, Brijesh Sharma
Light Design                                           Govind Singh Yadav
Light Execution                                      Md. Suleman, Pradeep Aggarwal
Costume Design                                    Sunita
Costume Helping                                   Shruti Mishra
Chief Costume Co-ordinator                  C.S. Bhatia
Dance Choreography                             Meghana Malik
Singers                                                   All Repertory Artistes
Music Rearrangement                           Santosh Kumar (Sandy)
Property In-charge                                 Moti Lal Khare
Sound Operation                                   Mukesh Kumar
Make Up In-charge                                Sikandra Kumar, Shruti Mishra
Stage Manager                                      Govind Singh Yadav
Assistant Director                                  Md. Abdul Kadir Shah

Playwright                                              Ajay Shukla
Lyrics, Music, Design & Direction          Chittaranjan Tripathy

Contacts
NSD Repertory Company
Bahawalpur House
Bhagwandas Road
New Delhi – 110 001
Ph: 011 23383420
W: www.nsd.gov.in

Playwright: Arijit Biswas & Prithunandan Ghose
Director: Prithunandan Ghose
Group: Bachhor Koori Porey, Kolkata
Language: Bengali
Duration: 2 hrs 15 mins

The Play
Priyotamasu is a chronicle of ten turbulent months in 1942. Set in a small mofussil town of Central India, the story is woven around a family of affluent Bengali settlers and a group of old or invalidated British officers, who are posted in that town. Away from the swirling passions of time, the two groups closely interact with each other till time overtakes them and the symbiosis is broken.

Director’s Note
Inspired from a short story by Somerset Maugham, which I read in late eighties, I couldn’t stop myself exploring how the drama in it could be brought on stage? I shared it with my childhood friend Arijit Biswas, co-playwright in this case, and asked him to read it as well. We had a series of debates on the context, the perspective and its acceptability by our viewers etc., which used to end up in tussles.

Finally, we had to change the whole of it completely, keeping only the essence of the outcome intact, and as such it took the shape of an original creation. We named it, Priyotamasu, the beloved.

A reading session was arranged for our acting and technical team who were awestruck listening to it and enjoyed all the rehearsals till it was launched on the evening of 1st June, 2019 at Gyan Manch, Kolkata.

As a Director of the play, I would not like to add any attribute, whatsoever, in favour of the play. Let the play be staged, it would be capable enough to substantiate its merit through its presentation.

The Director & Co-Playwright
Prithunandan Ghose’s approach to theatre is an amalgam of science and art. His presentations are uncanny and aesthetic owing to a background of engineering and the passion for theatre. His first group, Kathik, performed till 1977. When the group dissolved due to other professional callings for a living, he could not reconcile with his staying away from theatre. He formed Bachhor Koori Porey, which means ‘after 20 years.’ In 2015 the same compatriots, re-grouped for a sensational production, Ebong Andhokar, and in the following year for Adhora, a play scripted from a novel of Neelohit. In 2019 the group produced Priyotamasu that has been highly acclaimed. In all these plays Prithunandan has proven himself as a script-writer, lyricist, director and designer.

The Co-Playwright
Arijit Biswas, a writer of repute, is a graduate in engineering from Jadhavpur, and a post graduate in management from XLRI, Jamshedpur. Despite his professional demands he found time to write plays. He has co-written two Bengali plays viz. Priyotamasu and Ebong Andhokar that have been appreciated in and around Kolkata. Another play, Uttordroho, written by him was published in 1996 issue of theatre journal, Gandharba. He has written scripts and serials in Hindi for Zee TV, and for telefilms in Bengali. He is also the script-writer for Bollywood films Agent Vinod, Badlapur and Andhadhun. Under the section of Indian Feature Films category at KIFF, 2018, he won the best director award for the Bengali film Surjo Prithibir Chardike Ghore.

The Group
After a long break the group Kathik reassembled as Bachhor Koori Porey to perform Ebong Andhokar in 2015. The play was presented at important theatre congregations, mesmerizing the audiences and critics alike. Then followed Adhora, in 2016, and after three years, in June 2019, Priyotamasu. The latter has been a much awaited and promising piece that instantly caught the discerning attention of viewers and has now been invited to perform at NSD.

Cast & Credits
Sumi                                                       Aishani De
Aloka                                                      Amrita Mukhopadhyay
Surya                                                      Dipyaman Chatterjee
Doglus                                                    Sudip Mukherjee
Parsu                                                      Kunal Sen
Mr. Mahendra Banerjee                          Biswarup Das Purakayastha
Mrs. Sarbani Banerjee                            Enakshi Sen
Nikhil                                                       Arghya Basu Roy
Bannu                                                     Navoneel Sarkar
Jayaram                                                  Rittwik Roy
Alexis                                                      Avik Das
Monroe                                                   Arijit Chakraborty
Bharat                                                     Prabir Dutta
Bearer                                                     Abhishek Ghosh Roy

Light Design                                           Badal Das
Technical Assistants                               Ranjit Das & Surajit Mandal
Keyboard                                                Krishnendu Chatterjee
Sound Projection                                    Kaushik Sajjan
Make-up Artist                                        M. M. Rahman (Md. Babu)
Costume in-charge                                 Rupa Ghose
Property in-charge                                  Sima Ghose
Accessories in-charge                            Maloy Kanti Ghose
Set in-charge                                          Avirup Maity
Shifting in-charge                                   Sthitadhi Roy
Shifter                                                     Kakoli Chakraborty
Costume Design &Stagecraft Design     Prithunandan Ghose

Playwright Arijit Biswas & Prithunandan Ghose
Co-Playwright & Director Prithunandan Ghose

Contacts
Director
Bachhor Koori Porey,
W2A(R) 12/5, Phase IV B, Golf Green,
Kolkata-700095, West Bengal
M: +91 9830390690, 9830278466
E: bkporey@gmail.com

Playwright: Daniil Kharms
Director: Rajiv Krishnan
Group: Perch, Chennai
Language: English
Duration: 1 hr 30 mins

The Play
A girl finds a job as a cashier in your store, turns the handle on the cash-till and dies. What do you do? Stick a mushroom in her hand and pretend she’s alive. People throw themselves off windows, they leap out of cupboards, they spend maddeningly long hours in queues, they attack each other with snot and cucumbers, they fall, they sleep, they fight, they die. This is the world of Daniil Kharms. Chaotic, absurd, sometimes frightening, often incomplete. And you find that the only rational response is to laugh. The worse it gets, the more you laugh. Kharms is the master of dark laughter. It’s so ridiculous, so absurd, it can’t be true, right? Right?

Director’s Note
Our approach to Kharms was from a state of complete unknowing. A piece of text, a thought, an idea or an image triggered off our explorations. The entire process was a challenging one to say the least. This play represents our individual and collective response to Kharms, conceived in a true spirit of collaboration.
Puppets play an important role in this piece. The choice of working with puppets was a chance occurrence. Not being trained puppeteers we started from scratch, using storytelling as a guide. Like every piece of ours, we see this work too as a work in progress, evolving as we present it to audiences. And as much as we want to engage and provoke you, the audience, we hope that you will engage with the piece and provoke us in turn. In true Kharmsian spirit, we invert the typical theatre greeting and direct it to the audience – Break a leg!

The Director
Rajiv Krishnan is a theatre director and actor based in Chennai. His first play as a director was an adaptation of the comic satire Accidental Death of an Anarchist (Dario Fo) in 2000. In 2004, he organized a fortnight long festival called ‘Angloscapes’ focused on the Anglo-Indian community for which he co-adapted and directed a play inspired by Tennessee Williams Glass Menagerie in English. It was with this festival that the theatre collective Perch informally came into being.

The Playwright
Daniil Kharms (1905-1942), was an early Soviet era absurdist poet, writer and dramatist. He was often incarcerated by the Stalinist regime of his time for his unconventional and rebellious ways. His adult literature was not published during his lifetime and he was confined to writing for children. He is said to have starved to an anonymous death in the psychiatric ward of a Soviet hospital after being arrested during the siege of Leningrad in 1942. His stories defy easy characterization – they may start humorously but quickly turn dark, many featuring random acts of violence.

The Group
Perch is a theatre collective based in Chennai. It was formed by a motley bunch of actors, designers, filmmakers, journalists and others in 2008. Perch has been constantly exploring new ways of storytelling on a variety of themes from pure fantasy to contemporary Indian reality, from humour to political satire. Starting with adaptations of well- known plays and short stories, they have also explored devised work which is multilingual, collaborative and ensemble driven with a strong focus on visual design and music.

Cast & Credits
Created & Performed  by Iswar Lalitha, Rency Philip, Sachin Gurjale, Vijay Ravikumar, Vinod Ravindran

Music                                                   Abhaydev Praful
Photography                                        Richa Bhavanam
Costumes                                            Kaveri Lalchand
Puppets and Prop making                   Iswar Lalitha, Rency Philip, Sachin Gurjale, Vijay Ravikumar, Vinod Ravindran
Set and Light Design                            Kalpana Balaji, John V. Mathew
Production Management                      Anushka Meenakshi, Bharavi

Commissioned by The Serendipity Arts Festival

Playwright                                          Daniil Kharms
Director                                              Rajiv Krishnan

Contacts
Director, Perch
7, Bazullah Road, T Nagar
Chennai, Tamil Nadu- 600017
M: +91 9840700567
E: anushka.meenakshi@gmail.com

Playwright: Sattar Baig & Lakshman Deshmukh
Director: Poonam Tiwari
Group: Rang Chhattisa, Chhattisgarh
Language: Chhattisgarhi
Duration: 1 hr 30 mins

The Form
Nacha is a traditional folk-theatre and a legacy of Chhattisgarh. According to some scholars the basis of this theatrical form is Gammat Nacha, which is mainly a singing form. Gammat Bhajans include expressions of emotions, humour, longing etc. The performance is conducted throughout the night and the audience enjoys it wholeheartedly. It includes singing of bhajans of Tulidas, Surdas, Kabirdas, Meera, followed by filmy Ghazals, Qawwalis and folk songs like Karma, Dadriya, Yuvapanthi, Holi etc. The performance includes all colours ranging from humour, compassion, love, anger etc.

The Play & Director’s Note
This play is to encourage the audience to help in getting rid of the increasing dilemmas in the society, and build a clean and beautiful nation. It also urges those who are in the grip of an addiction, to give up the bad habit/s so that one’s health, family future generation, and the society does not have to pay for one’s folly. The addiction to liquor is driving the society astray. Through this play we wish to convey that alcohol, known as ‘Mahua ke Pani’ (Water of Mahua) in our region, is destroying our world. Families are suffering due to this evil habit. I, Poonam Tiwari, and my team are honoured to present this play at NSD, Delhi.

The Director
Born on 13th November 1963 in Chhattisgarh, Poonam Tiwari attended school till class four. At the age of nine she started participating in the productions of Nacha parties like Dau Mandaraji Nacha Party, Jaalbandha Nacha party, Pateva Nacha party and Nishad Nacha party. While working for Champa Barsan Nacha party of Durg, she came in contact with the great thespian Habib Tanvir and from 1984 to 2005 worked under him as an actor in Charandas Chor, Mitti Ki Gadi, Mor Nau Damad Gaon Ke Nau Sasural and many other productions. She has been awarded with Dauji Mandara Samman 2005, Sharad Vairahagkar Samman 2015 by IPTA, and Dau Ramchandra Deshmukh Bahuman Samman 2020.

The Playwrights
Lakshman Deshmukh was born in a farmer’s family in Village Dugatola, 10 kms from the forest of Ambagarh. He has written many songs and plays on social issues like de-addiction, dowry system, oppression of women etc. He along with Sattar Baig has adapted this play to bring awareness about the evil and ill effects of alcohol that are spreading in the society. The play focuses on the addiction of liquor, made from the fruits of Mahua tree, in tribal villages. The play has been written in Chhattisgarhi Nacha style.

The Group
Rang Chhattisa based in district Rajnandgaon (Chhattisgarh), is a folk and cultural theatre group which has been presenting plays mainly based on the folk-art form Nacha. The group prioritises social issues over commercial ventures. It has performed numerous plays including Lottery, Rajim Bhaktin, Pathshala, Mahua Ke Pani and many more, in cities like Jaipur, Wardha, Bilaspur, Raigarh, Ajmer, Delhi, Indore, Patna, Ranchi, Guwahati etc.

Cast & Credits
Guru’s Wife                                  Poonam Tiwari
Guruji                                           Sattar Baig
Sahinav                                        Mitr Shailender Rajak
Sahinav’s Wife                             Kumari Kaushik
Baba/Dada                                   Chhannu Sahu
Guruji’s Daughter                         Lakshmi Yadav
Friends                                         Divya Tiwari, Annu
Liquor Seller                                 Tejram Devangan
Bania                                            Rajkumar Chauhan
Bania’s Assistant                          Murad Khan
Policeman                                     Deva
Pallbearer (Arthi Uthane Wala)     Mahesh Sahu
Saheli                                            Pramila Yadav
Student                                         Chhotu Meshram, Mahesh Sahu

Harmonium                                   Limesh Shukla
Bansuri                                         Hemraj Sinha
Tabla                                             Monu Pandiya
Banjo                                            Chetan
Dance Director                              Varsha
Dance                                           Jeetu Yadav
Singer (female)                             Anita Jhanghel
Singer (male)                                Narottam Das
Guidance                                      Deepak Virat

Playwright                                    Sattar Baig & Lakshman Deshmukh
Director                                        Poonam Tiwari

Contacts
Rangchhatisa
Mamta Nagar, Ward No.-19
Rajnandgaon, Chhatisgarh
M: +91 9009008070
E: limesh1988@gmail.com

Director: Tushar Sonu Naik
Group: Naik Mochemadkar Paramparik Dashavtari Loknatya Mandal, Maharashtra
Language: Marathi
Duration: 1 hr 40 mins

The Form
Dashavtar is a popular form of folk-art characterizing rural theatre of South Konkan region, the coastal Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. Dashavtar is generally the presentation of different incarnations of Lord Vishnu, with ‘akhyanas’ (stories) from great epics Mahabharata and Ramayana, though these days more secular themes are also presented.
Dashavtar is an all-male performance. It has music, mime, colourful costumes, extempore dialogues, dance steps, and battle scenes. Dashavtar regales, instructs, and edifies the rural masses through the themes it presents. The music has harmonium, tabla or pakhawaj, and cymbals as accompanying musical instruments, and is based on the Hindustani style.

The Performance
Babruvahana, the king of Manipur, takes in his custody the horse of the Pandavas which they had sent as symbol of their supremacy over all the kings. Meghavarna, son of Ghatotkacha, and Rushiketa, son of Karna go in search of the horse but fail to find it and return. Chitrangi, mother of Babruvahana, reveals to him that he is the son of the great warrior Arjuna. Babruvahana goes to meet Arjuna, but Arjuna gets angry and insults him. This makes Babruvahana furious. He challenges Arjuna for a fight. In the battlefield Arjuna gets defeated and Babruvahana decides to behead him. Chitrangi and Ulupi, Babruvahana’s stepmother order him get the divyamani, a precious stone, from the head of Shesh Nagraj, to save Arjuna and other martyrs in the battlefield.
Babruvahana goes to Shesh Nagraj, who is also his grandfather, and succeeds in getting the divya Nagamani. Meanwhile Bheema, the elder brother of Arjuna, arrives on the scene and on seeing Arjuna beheaded, fights with Babruvahana. Chitrangi and Ulupi stop them and tell him what actually happened.
All of them pray to Shree Krishna who appears and brings life to Arjuna and the others by touching the Nagamani on their heads. Babruvahana and his father Arjuna embrace each other.

Director’s Note
While directing this play, I have selected the artists who are able to portray the character assigned to them. I have worked on the dialogues, costumes, make-up, and hairstyles, especially of males who perform the role of females. I thank the music director of this play for his single-handed contribution in this production.

The Director
Tushar Sonu Naik is a Matriculate. Though he is young, he has directed many plays, such as Veer Babruvahana, which is most popular among all. Most of the plays directed by him are in the traditional folk form of Maharshtra – Dashavtar.

The Group
The troupe known as Naik Mochemadkar Parmparik Dashavtari Loknatya Mandal is headed by Sonu alias Babal Shripad Naik, and managed by his son Tushar Sonu Naik, who is also a musician.
The family resides on the picturesque sea-shore in a small village called Mochemad, in Maharashtra. Dashavtar, a traditional folk art of this area, has been practiced by the family for more than six generations. The performers and musicians of the troupe come from different villages of Sindhudurg district and a few also from the nearby state of Goa. They all are from poor, rustic, rural areas, mainly farmers, agriculturists or artists dedicated to this folk art with devotion and love. Naik Mochemadkars are frequently invited to perform their plays in annual festivals, rural fairs in the courtyards of temples, and these days even in urban areas. More than 240 performances are staged by this group every year.

Cast & credit

Ganesh                        Gajanan Vengurlekar
Riddhi                           Akshay Naik
Siddhi                           Dipak Mayekar
Babruvahana                Nitin Asayekar
Hansadhvaja                Sudhakar Parab
Arjuna                           Narayan Asayekar
Meghvarna                   Nilesh Naik
Rushiket                       Sagar Gaonkar
Ulupi                             Ratnakar Manjarekar
Chitrangi                       Mahesh Dhuri
Bheema                        Krishana Naik
Shesh Nagraj                Guru Varadkar
Shrikrishana                  Aatmaram Sawant

Harmonium                    Rajan Gawade
Mrudang or Pakhvaj       Piyush Khandare
Cymbals                         Snatosh Gudulekar
Singer                             Mahadev Dalvi
Backstage Artists            Sitaram Gawade, Pravin Tandel,
Raman Parab, Harishchandra Manjarekar
Music Director                Jayram Shripad Naik
Head of the Troupe         Sonu Shripad Naik

Research                         Vijaykumar Phatarpekar
Director & Manager          Tushar Sonu Naik

Contacts
Naik Mochemadkar Paramprik Dashavtari Loknatya Mandal
Mochemad – Vengurla
H.No 134, Bhandarwadi-Mochemad
P.O. – Tank, Taluka – Vengurla
Distt. – Sindhudurga State – Maharashtra
Pin 416518
Ph. +919405070799, 9764504137
E: tnaik82@gmail.com

Playwright: Snehasish Bhattacharyay
Director: Sima Mukhopadhyay
Group: Samstab, Kolkata
Language: Bengali
Duration: 2 hrs 20 mins

The Play
Nirupam Goswami, an ex-army man, who has now become an entrepreneur, is living a contented life with his wife Sujata Goswami and son Debopam Goswami, when one afternoonall of a sudden, there appears a stranger,and intruding into their house claims to be the real Nirupam Goswami, who had fought as a Major in the Dras Sector, 237 battalion, during the Kargil War. He claims that Sujata is his wife, and says that this Nirupam Goswami is actually Mainak Ghosh, who had fought under his domination in the Kargil War. Surprised and astonished by the attitude of the ‘uninvited guest’, Nirupam and Sujata struggle to fight against all odds. The case is then taken to the police, who is also taken aback, when the stranger presents proof after proof. Lawyers from both the sides look into the matter, and finally, the case reaches the court.

Director’s Note
I feel every director wants to work on a play that goes beyond its words and delves into a deeper philosophy of life. Anahuta (The Uninvited) compelled me to look within me while presenting it on the stage. The known tactics of executing plays went topsy-turvy while working on Anahuta. The more I faced these challenges the more I felt zealous about it. Not only was it me but the actors too went through all these challenges while playing their parts. In fact, the different selves that inhabit our being remain, for the most part of our lives, unknown, unrecognized and uninvited to the fore. When these selves come to the fore and confront us, the familiarity with life vanishes instantly. Everything legal and illegal, true and false, the victorious and the defeated, stand on an unstable ground.Here, in this play, we too have faced something unknown and been on a journey with it. That the journey of life is the only truth is what our team has tried to present through this play on stage.

The Director
Sima Mukhopadhyay (born 5 December 1959) is a director, playwright and actor from Kolkata. She made her stage debut as a child artiste with M.G. Enterprise, a professional theatre ensemble. She received Master’s Degree in Drama (Acting) from Rabindra Bharati University in 1985. At present she heads Rangroop. As an actress Sima has acted in productions directed by eminent directors, beside her own. She has written twelve full-length plays, and six short-length plays for children. Besides the ones written by her,Sima has directed works of Rabindranath Tagore, Oscar Wilde, TriptiMitra, Arthur Arbuzov, and many other world renowned writers. She is a recipient of Senior Fellowship from HRD Ministry for the year 2002, Ritwik Ghatak Smriti Puraskar, Paschim Banga Natya Akademi award, Dishari Puraskar, Kalakar Award, Bengal Shrachi Award, and Anukul Samman.

The Playwright
Dr.Snehasis Bhattacharyya, started his journey as a playwright with Swapnoparosh which was staged by Natyaranga theatre group in 2011. After that, he was selected in the International Playwrights’ Workshop held the same year with the playwrights of West Bengal and Bangladesh, andthe Cultural Ministry of India. He is also an actor and has performed many plays for Bangla theatre.

The Group
Samstab was formed in 1982 under guidance of Guru Sri Dwijen Bandyopadhyay. Its first production was Abhimukh, a poetic play written by Shri Navendu Sen and staged in 1983. The group has tried to encourage new, and not-too-well-known playwrights too. With Naak, Kalpomon and Dhuni Stambha, we introduced a new author Kajal Sengupta and also produced Sokratiser Jabanbandi by Dr. Sisir Kumar Das, which was later telecast through Kolkata Doordarshan.

Cast & Credits
Stranger                 Sanjib Sarkar
Sujata                     Amrita Mukherjee
Nirupam                  Susnata Bhattacharjyay
Police Officer          Srikanta Manna
Yudhistir                  Parthasarathi Chandra
Menoka                   Kankabati Bandyopadhyay
Prasenjit                  Ashish Mazumder
Raghabendra          Parthasarathi Sengupta
Peon                        Sanjoy Das

Light                        Badal Das
Music                      Disari Chakraborty
Set Design              Sandipsuman Bhattacharjya
Sound                      Pinaki Mukherjee

Playwright               Snehasish Bhattacharyay
Director                   Sima Mukhopadhyay

Contacts
Director, Samstab
37B, Pratapaditya Road, Kolkata- 700026
Ph: 033-23469492
M: +91 9830302351
E: shekhar26march@gmail.com

The annual theatre festival, that will open with veteran actor-director Amol Palekar’s KUSUR, will showcase a mix of Indian and international plays

New Delhi, February 1: The 21^st edition of the Bharat Rang Mahotsav (BRM) – the annual theatre festival organised by the National School of Drama (NSD) is all set to bring an assortment of plays, interactive sessions, and other cultural events to cheer up winter afternoons of theatre enthusiasts in the Capital.

The inaugural function for BRM 2020 kick started at the Kamani auditorium with Panchvadyam — a South Indian devotional music. The dignitaries present on the occasion included Chief Guest Prof. Vidushi Rita Ganguly, eminent theatre artist and vocalist, Guest of Honour Dr. Mohan Agashe, renowned theatre and film personality and Special Guest Ms. Nirupama Kotru, IRS, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India among others. The function was presided over by Dr. Arjun Deo Charan, Acting Chairman, NSD Society.

Prof. Suresh Sharma, Director In-charge, National School of Drama, welcomed the guest at the inaugural function and appreciated all the participants from National & International theatre fraternity who came all across. Also, he specially expressed his gratitude to the Actor Amol Palekar who came & graced the occasion by presenting his play at the inauguration ceremony. He also said through the years, Bharat Rang Mahotsav has presented some masterpieces from the world of theatre. The idea is to reach out to a much wider set of audiences with works from post-modern and regional theatre. We hope to highlight the importance of theatre and plays and promote the culture of appreciating various forms of performing arts.

Chief Guest Prof. Vidushi Rita Ganguly, present at the event said “Eventual expression of human race is theatre, I give credit to all these honours that I receive to Ebrahim Alkazi. NSD treats everyone equally and in theatre everyone has their own place.”

Guest of Honour Dr. Mohan Agashe, renowned theatre and film personality who was present at the event said “theatre occupies the highest place in art forms. I am really elated to see that year after year NSD is giving this living art a stage.”

Present at the event the Special Guest Ms. Nirupama Kotru, IRS, Joint Secretary, and Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India Said “NSD is one of the nine gems that we have in our country. We should encourage more participation and spectatorship of theatre.”

Echoing his thoughts, Dr. Arjun Deo Charan, Acting Chairman, NSD Society said, “Theatre brings meaning to people and the position of an actor is held highly in theatre of our country. An actor should be mindful of their own emotions and the emotions of their character and this understanding if conceived can help anyone and everyone.”

Like each year, this year too, BRM promises a diverse experience featuring a host of plays depicting various shades of emotions along with masterclasses by stalwarts from the theatre fraternity. The festival will stage 91 plays that include a combination of post-modern and regional theatre by Indian and international thespians. It will open with veteran theatre and film personality Amol Palekar’s crime-drama Kusur – The Mistake that revolves around the life of retired Assistant Police Commissioner Dandavate, whose life changes overnight when he volunteers to serve at the police control room. Besides, the festival will also showcase a mix of romance, suspense, comedy and music along with international plays, interactive sessions and allied events.

National School of Drama today inaugurated its, evergreen, much-awaited 11^th Bal Sangam – a folk & traditional performing Arts & folk Theatre festival, at the lush green lawns of the campus amid much fanfare. Watch the film made on the occasion by my Digital Media students at IIITD: Sahil Yadav, Aseem Saini & Dilnawaz Ashraf

https://youtu.be/BtmyaJwBD2I

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The opening ceremony of Bal Sangam witnessed the gracious presence of Renowned Theatre Actor & Director, Prof. Ram Gopal Bajaj, Prof. Suresh Sharma, Director-in-Charge, NSD, Abdul Latif Khatana, Chief, TIE Co., and Prof. (Dr.) Abhilash Pillai, Dean-Academic.

The opening ceremony was followed by Rangoli – a stage performance by Folk & Traditional child artistes of India, choreographed by renowned choreographer Shri Bharat Sharma, who has an illustrious career spanning over three decades.

Renowned Theatre Actor & Director, Prof. Ram Gopal Bajaj said, “Without relation and communication there is no world. Festival like Bal Sangam help building relationship among the children of different culture. Strong relationship and bonding lead to form a strong nation.”

Prof. Suresh Sharma, Director-in-Charge, National School of Drama said, “I’d like to thank everyone who managed to take out their valuable time to come here and give their blessing to the participating kids. I welcome all the participants and audience to this festival. We are proud that the TIE Company has been working hard to make children know about their own culture, traditions, and values. NSD will continue taking such initiatives in the future as well.”

Mr. Abdul Latif Khatana, Chief, Theatre-in-Education said, “Theatre-in-Education has been continuously trying to reach and touch the lives of children across the country in last three decades. Apart from folk & traditional performing arts and folk theatre, we conduct interactive workshops among participant children from different parts of the country.  The experience and exposure they get at such a young age, will definitely inspire them to do something in the field of folk and traditional performing arts and folk theatre in the future.”

Prof. (Dr.) Abhilash Pillai, Dean-Academic, extended the vote of thanks to chief guest, children and the audience for taking out their time and being a part of Bal Sangam.

Bal Sangam provides the platform for young talent who have never got chance to show their talent and whose performances have never been witnessed at national level. Long Man, Rajasthani Puppet, Behroopiya, and Magician etc. are the special attraction of the festival. Various types of art and craft workshops are also being conducted during the festival.

This year around 15 productions from 12 states are participating in the festival. Bhavesh Chau Nritye Kala Kendra Jharkhand will perform Kharsama Chaun Sholi, likewise Manipuri Folk by Thang-Ta Cultural Association Manipur, Rajasthani Lok Kala by Manganiar Group Rajasthan Rajasthan, Gotipua Dance by Aradhana Dance Academy Odisha, Bodo Folk by Sifung Harium Afad Assam, Oggudolu by Kunta Sadaiah Oggudolu Group Telangana, Kalarippayat by Hindustan Kalari Sangam Kerala, Punjabi Folk by Punjabi Folk Art Centre Punjab, Malvi Lok Nritye by Pratikalpa Sanskrit Sansthan Madhya Pradesh, Gujarati Folk Dance by Kalrav Sewa Trust Gujarat, Pasumukha (Animal Mask Dance), Kandhei Nata (Puppet Dance) Kothishala by Bichitra Barnali Natya Sansada Odisha, Tiwa by Tiwa Bhakha – Sanskriti Charcha Somittee Assam and Folk & Traditional Theatre performances will be Ram Vijay by Manjula Kalakendra Assam, “Gosian Pather” by National Bhand Theatre J & K, and Yakshagana Dance Drama by Yakshagana Kendra Karnataka.

 The Bal Sangam festival is an ensemble of various performing traditional art forms presented by children, with the objective of encouraging children to continue traditional performances so as to preserve our cultural heritage in this rapidly changing world. The fanfare and hub of Bal Sangam 2019 start from 9^th November and goes on till 12^th November 2019 at the New Delhi Campus of NSD at Bhagwandas Road. Timing- 4:00PM to 8:00PM. Entry to the event is free.

National School of  Drama, the foremost theatre training institutions in the world and the only one of its kind in India today announced the commencement of its much awaited 11^th edition of Bal Sangam from 9^th-12^th November 2019, in its premises. The 11^th edition of the festival will showcase enthralling folk & traditional performing Arts & folk Theatre from 12 states of India dedicated to children.

Bal Sangam, an outreach programme of Sanskaar Rang Toli (Theatre-in-Education Company), in every alternate year brings forth both the heritage and legacy of traditional art forms and performances that are presented by children belonging to traditional performing families, guru-paramparas, and institutions across the country.

The four-day cultural mela will begin on November 9th, five days ahead of the Children’s Day with an inaugural performance ‘Rangoli’ by folk and traditional child artistes of India, choreographed by renowned choreographer Shri Bharat Sharma, who has an illustrious career spanning over three decades. The Festival also includes folk dance, martial arts, acrobatics, street play performances and also acts like juggling, puppetry and magic shows.

To encourage eagerness in children for traditional performances, states like Assam, Odisha, Rajasthan, Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Telangana, Kerela, Gujarat, Punjab, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh will bring to the fore the magic of folk performances and plays so that Indian cultural heritage will be preserved in this rapidly changing world.

Dr. Arjun Deo Charan, Acting Chairman, National School of Drama said, “The festival is an ensemble of various performing traditional art forms that are presented by children. We are proud that the TIE Company has been working hard to make children know about their own culture, traditions and values,”

Highlighting the importance of theatre and folk performances, Shri Suresh Sharma, Director-in-Charge, National School of Drama said “Theatre and folk performances are a great learning medium for exploring and sensitizing children towards issues. Such activities and festivals are a wonderful platform to not just perform, but learn, travel, and share. NSD believes that theatre makes a person sensitive towards issues and an active participant of society as it boosts powers of communication. Theatre brings in all these qualities and if children are introduced to this wonderful, they become better human beings”.

Mr. Abdul Latif Khatana, Chief, Theatre-in-Education, said, “Bal Sangam is a confluence of folk and traditional art forms performed by children. When the child artistes imbibe these folk and traditional art forms with the mastery of their art and their innocence then the performance becomes magic.”

NSD authorities will be making special arrangements through various NGOs working with underprivileged children and social organisations, to reach out and invite children from not so privileged class so as to give them the due privilege to experience and be enriched by this long awaited festival of National School of Drama for children.

There will also be various types of art and craft workshops during the festival from 9^th–12^th November.

About National School of Drama

National School of Drama is one of the foremost theatre training institutions in the world and the only one of its kind in India. It’s an autonomous organization, fully financed by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Training in the School is highly intensive and is based on a thorough, comprehensive, carefully planned syllabus which covers every aspect of theatre and in which theory is related to practice.

About T.I.E. Co.

Sanskaar Rang Toli (T.I.E. Co.) of NSD was established on October 16, 1989, and completed 30 years of its existence. Sanskaar Rang Toli is the only theatre education resource centers in the country and has worked with around 20 thousand children till date in various workshops. It consists of a group of actor-teachers working with and performing for children. The major focus of the TIE Company is to perform creative, curriculum-based and participatory plays in schools, specially designed and prepared for children of different age groups.

The TIE Company has done more than 2000 performances in various parts of the country. More than 10 lakh children, apart from college students, teachers, parents and theatre lovers, have witnessed these plays in approximately all the states in the country as well as internationally such as Poland, China, Philippines and Japan.

The Toli began with an objective of bridging the gap between passive education and an active method of learning by doing through its performances of varied plays, Summer Theatre Workshops on self-development and social integration, Sunday Club for devising original performances with children, workshops with teachers on effective teaching-learning process. All these activities are practiced round the year as per the children’s annual school calendar in Delhi and other parts of the country.

NSD Play Directed by Waman Kendre

A review by Manohar Khushalani

First Published in IIC Diary

National School of Drama’s “Ghazab Teri Ada”, an anti-war play, adapted from Aristophane’s Greek comedy, Lysistrata, was staged at IIC. Adaptation, music design and direction is by Waman Kendre and light design by Suresh Bharadwaj. The play was initially performed at NSD as a tribute to war victims around the centenary of World War I. However, with the prevailing war psychosis, the play has contemporary relevance too. Taking a cue from the Greek play, first performed in classical Athens in 411 BC, which was a comic account of one woman’s extraordinary mission to end the Peloponnesian War, the protagonist of the Hindi play, Laya, convinces the wives of soldiers, to withdraw sexual favours to their husbands, until  they agree to desist from fighting the War Mongering King’s battles. In the non-violent protest, even the Queen is co-opted. In order to seal all alternatives for men, even the lady brothel-keeper is made a co-conspirator. There are hilarious scenes of desperate men trying to win favours first from their wives and later, in futility, from the women in the brothel. Even the King is brought on his knees by the Queen. The play ends with the soldiers laying down their arms.

The racy musical, with a folk flavor, has been intricately designed by Kendre. The women’s protest, was unusually orchestrated with strident ringing of hand held temple bells, in a martial style. He avoided the obvious Ghungroo, realizing that it was more a symbol of femininity than feminism.

The Review Published in IIC Diary