Prize Acts

Five years is a long time the world of theatre,hence the air of celebration as the curtain rises on Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META).

Five years is a long time the world of theatre,hence the air of celebration as the curtain rises on Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META). The event,considered to be the only major national contest for theatre in India ,will begin on March 2 and,over the next five days,will host the 10 plays that have made it to the final round from over 230 entries. This is an exponential increase from the first year when we had only 26 entries, says Ravi Dubey,the creative director of the festival. More importantly,the plays have come in from a very wide geographical range.

The finalists this year,for instance,include A-Chik A-Song,a Garo play from the hills of Meghalaya about the arms struggle against the colonial rule in the late 19th century,Garbo,a Marathi play about contemporary youth whose non-conformism challenges age-old social ethos,and the Assamese Guti Phulor Gamusa in which the ecstasy of Bihu emerges in a story of a talented young girl whose dance can bring rain to drought-hit lands.

META begins with Delhi-based Tripurari Sharmas Roop Aroop,a tale that unfolds against the backdrop of nautanki performances and has lead actor Happy Ranajit nominated in the Best Actor (Male) category. According to theatreperson and former jury member MK Raina,this is also the time to catch up on plays that one might have missed earlier. Among these are S*X,M*rality and Cens*rship and the Malayalam Spinal Cord,both of which recorded houseful shows at the recent Bharat Rang Mahotsav,the theatre festival of the National School of Drama.

Among other notable performances is Mirel Masingkha,a non-verbal play that revisits the struggle of Irom Sharmila of Manipur. In the last few decades,Manipur has become a chaotic state against which Irom Sharmila has been fighting with her fast unto death campaign since 2000, says Yumnam Sadananda Singh,who has been nominated for Best Director. The play,he adds,uses mime and is a platform for deaf and mute artists. The jury,comprising actor Dhritiman Chaterji,director MS Sathyu and author Nayantara Sahgal among others,clearly has its task cut out.

META will be held at Kamani auditorium and Sri Ran Centre in Mandi House. Contact: 011-26011430

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awards
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