Come August, people across Uttar Pradesh may get to watch professionally produced plays on historical icons and landmark events as the state government plans an ambitious theatre outreach programme.
The proposed initiative, ‘Ek Janpad, Ek Natak (One District, One Play)’, aims to take stories of freedom fighters, cultural figures and historical events to audiences through travelling productions, local theatre groups and even digital streaming platforms.
As per officials, among the personalities and events likely to be featured are former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Veer Savarkar, Jhansi ki Rani, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Maharaja Suheldev (11th-century king of Shravasti), the Kakori Train Action and the 1857 Revolt.
The programme is part of a proposal prepared by the Bhartendu Natya Academy (BNA), Lucknow, which sources said has received in-principle approval from the state government. Sources said the government is aiming to roll out the initiative from August.
Key features
Under the scheme, each district would host a two-day performance of a play scripted around one of eight approved themes and linked to the region.
Officials said theatre troupes would be selected through a screening process: applications will be accepted from registered groups, and these will be scrutinised by district-level committees and evaluated by experts before final approval.
The proposal states that financial support will be offered for playwrights, directors, actors, musicians and technical staff, with provisions for honorariums and remuneration.
Sources said a major feature of the proposal is the creation of flagship productions that can travel across districts. Three such productions have been proposed on Vajpayee, Maharaja Suheldev and Anandmath, the Bankim Chandra Chatterjee novel.
Special emphasis has been placed on Vajpayee, officials said, with the proposal recommending a dedicated play on the BJP stalwart’s life, political journey, statesmanship and association with Uttar Pradesh. It is planned to be staged across multiple districts on December 25, his birth anniversary.
Productions on Maharaja Suheldev and Anandmath are similarly envisaged as state-level presentations with wider touring schedules and higher production values.
The proposal also links productions to important anniversaries and commemorative dates.
For instance, plays on Bhagat Singh are planned around March 23, productions on the ‘Kakori Train Robbery’ around August 9, and performances based on the 1857 Revolt and Rani Lakshmi Bai during May and June. Productions on Ashfaqulla Khan, a revolutionary, may be planned around October 22.
Independence Day, Balidan Diwas and other nationally significant occasions would also feature dedicated performances, said sources.
Touring model
To maximise audience reach, officials involved in the exercise said districts would be grouped into regional clusters, allowing successful productions to travel across multiple locations.
For instance, the Lucknow region is expected to focus on the Kakori robbery and the freedom struggle, while the Meerut region would host productions linked to the 1857 Revolt. The Saharanpur region is proposed to host performances based on Shivaji.
The proposal also outlines the expenditure for production, artist remuneration, technical arrangements and state-wide touring. Sources said standard productions are estimated to cost around Rs 18.35 lakh each, whereas flagship productions have been budgeted at nearly Rs 49.2 lakh each.
A year-round initiative
The plan, officials said, is to initiate the campaign through the Culture, Tourism, Education, Information departments.
Officials also said the plan is to ensure that all productions are professionally video-recorded and photographed, with performances archived in a dedicated UP Cultural Digital Library. They said select productions could later be made available on YouTube and OTT platforms.
Through this, the government hopes to transform theatre into a year-round cultural movement.
“This initiative is designed not merely as a theatre programme but as a structured cultural outreach effort that will take stories of the freedom movement, literary heritage and civilisational values directly to young audiences across UP,” said Amrit Abhijat, Additional Chief Secretary, Tourism, Culture and Religious Affairs.
He said productions based on Maharaja Suheldev, Rani Lakshmi Bai, the Kakori robbery etc have been identified because they represent courage, social consciousness and nationalism that remain relevant for young generations. “Through performances in schools, universities, museums, heritage sites and cultural institutions across all 75 districts, we expect to directly engage between 5 and 10 lakh young people,” he added.
He further informed, “The state has created a dedicated institutional and financial support framework for research, script development, production, artist engagement, staging and documentation, reflecting a long-term commitment to cultural education through theatre.”
Atal Bihari Vajpayee. (Express Archive) 
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