In a major announcement, Uday Samant, Minister of Industry and Trustee of the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Natya Parishad, declared that Bollywood, Mollywood, Tollywood, and the Marathi theatre industry will soon be granted industry status to boost employment opportunities. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will officially announce this move on Maharashtra Day, May 1.
Samant made the announcement during the concluding ceremony of the 100th Vibhagiya Natya Sammelan of the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Natya Parishad. Convention President Dr. Jabbar Patel, Central Committee Vice-President Naresh Gadekar, Nagpur Branch President Ajay Patil, Sanjay Rahate, and other office-bearers were present on the dais.
Commending the Nagpur Branch for excellently organising the centenary convention, Samant also offered several suggestions. He stressed that granting a ‘classical’ status to the Marathi language depends not just on official recognition, but also on the dedicated work of theatre artists, writers, and directors. He urged for the revival of their plays and contributions to inspire the younger generation and preserve this rich cultural heritage. He also called on the Natya Parishad to take the lead in providing employment and welfare measures for artists and technicians in the theatre and film sectors.
Convention President Dr. Jabbar Patel, in his speech, suggested that officials from the Nagpur Branch push for the development of small theatres and better infrastructure across the state. He too praised the successful organisation of the centenary celebrations.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, through an audio-visual message from Arunachal Pradesh, highlighted how Marathi theatre has been a source of inspiration for generations. He noted that over the past hundred years, Marathi theatre has deeply touched the hearts of Marathi-speaking people and continues to reflect society like a true mirror.
In his introductory address, Naresh Gadekar expressed satisfaction at successfully hosting the much-awaited centenary convention, hoping it would spark renewed enthusiasm in the theatre community.
During the event, senior theatre personalities such as Madhu Joshi, Prabhakar Ambone, Shraddha Telang, Bapu Chanakhekar, Shobha Jogdev, Dr. Ranjan Darvekar, Dr. Vijay Vaidya, Suresh Ghadyalpatil, Prakash Edalabadkar, Vijay Jathe, Sanjay Walivkar, Vatsala Polkamwar, Dayanand Chandanwale, Meena Deshpande, and Sachin Kumbhare were felicitated by Uday Samant.
Winners of the Late Ganesh Naidu Memorial Art Competition — Vaman Tulsakar, Rukmini Dixit, and Tushar Raut — were also honoured.
The event was compered by actress Bhargavi Chirmule, and the vote of thanks was proposed by Ajay Patil.
👉 Click here to read the latest Gujarat news on TheLiveAhmedabad.com