The parallel theatre festivities have begun for the 21st edition of the Bharat Rang Mahotsav (BRM), in Nagpur. The annual theatre festival organised by the National School of Drama (NSD)is all set to bring a collection of plays for theatre lovers in the city.
The inaugural function for BRM 2020 was held at the Sai Hall, 297, W Shankar Nagar Rd, West Shankar Nagar, Nagpur in the presence of the Guest of Honour Shri Madhu Joshi, senior theatre actor.
The inaugural ceremony witnessed a worthy performance of the play by Mumbai based Vision Group, Ek Zunj Varyashi, written by P.L. Deshpande and directed by Shriniwas Narwekar.
Guest of Honour Shri Madhu Joshi, senior theatre actor who attended the event said “National School of drama has given a platform to some of the best works of theatre and actors. Theatre as an art has withstood the test of time despite changing trends and still attracts audiences today. Theatre is a superior medium of expression that has survived the onslaught of many popular trends. Platforms like BRM are providing people with access to some rare theatrical masterpieces.â€
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 our country. An actor should be mindful of their own emotions and the emotions of their character. NSD brings out the best in actors while at the same time giving audiences a chance to appreciate world class theatre through festivals like BRM.â€
Shri Suresh Sharma, Director In-charge, National School of Drama present at the event expressed his gratitude to all the guests present at the inaugural function and appreciated all the participants from the National & International theatre fraternity. He also said that “The idea of BRM is to reach out to a much wider set of audiences with works from the modern and regional theatre. We hope to highlight the importance of theatre and play and promote the culture of appreciating various forms of performing arts.†
BRM promises a diverse experience presenting a collection of plays portraying various shades of emotions. The festival will host 5 Indian and 2 foreign plays. Among Indian plays, two plays each would be held in Marathi, Bengali and one in Hindi. Whereas, performances from USA and Russia would be in English and Russian respectively. The festival will open with Ek Zunj Varyashi (A fight with the wind) which is a critically acclaimed play. An anonymous common man seeks an appointment of a minister and point-blank demands his resignation with supportive evidence, for the injustice done with some other person.
Arguments, cross-arguments between them lead the main body of this classic play, whose soul is the machination of political, bureaucratic system, highlighting the destructive character of human nature. It is an adaptation of Russian playwright Vladen Dozortsev’s The Last Appointment adapted by legendary Marathi playwright P. L. Deshpande.
National School of Drama (NSD):
Established in 1959, the National School of Drama is the only one of its kind in India and is an autonomous organization, fully financed by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. One of the foremost theatre training institutions in the world, NSD was incepted under the aegis of the Sangeet NatakAkademi and became an independent entity in 1975. It offers a 3-year, full-time, residential training program in every aspect of theatre with a special focus on the practical implementation of theories.
The enviable list of alumni and faculty members have ensured that the institution remains at the helm of performing arts – several theatre practitioners who passed from the prestigious institution, including playwrights, actors, directors, set and light designers and music directors, have enriched the Indian theatre and continue to do so.
Apart from theatre, the artistic manifestations of NSD alumni have often left an indelible mark in other media as well. There are two performing wings of NSD – the Repertory Company and Theatre-in Education Company (TiE) that started in 1964 and 1989, respectively.
Along with New Delhi, NSD has its resource centres across India, which are in Varanasi, Gangtok, Agartala and Bengaluru.