37 years on,Abhinet’s class act continues

As the curtains went up for Abhinet’s two productions on Wednesday,staged as part of the ongoing Tagore Theatre Festival,its members said a sense of fulfillment enveloped them. “It’s good to be back to where we belong,after a gap of two years and that too,with two new productions,” says Kamal Arora,who directed Tagore’s Kankaal for the festival.

Vijay Kapoor took centrestage as the protagonist in Kankaal and also adapted the story for stage. Kapoor says it was a gratifying moment for him,for it’s only commitment towards theatre that have kept the group intact all these years.

Having staged close to 65 plays,the repertory of the group’s work is wide,having staged plays by eminent playwrights such as Kalidasa,Shakespeare,Badal Sircar,Mohan Rakesh,Girish Karnad,Samuel Beckett and Arthur Miller. Abhinet has participated in various national and international festivals,and has 45 members on board.

“Each of us gets equal opportunities and has the freedom to function in the group. Yet,there is a collective responsibility and collaborative effort to showcase quality theatre,” says Rana Nayar,who joined the group in 1992. The well-known translator,writer,theatre worker and an English professor at Panjab University directed a 20-minute production,Karan-Kunti Samvad,for the festival.

Among the group’s senior members are Prof Thakur and Kamal Arora,both recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi awards for their lifelong contribution to the field of theatre. Arora recalls how he’s been a part of 50 plays of Abhinet,in various capacities. “Almost all aspects of theatre production are handled by the group members,who come from various walks of life. We do experiment,yet try to keep the quality intact,’’ he says.