Renovated at Rs 28 crore, Kalidas Natyamandir yet to stage shows

Established in 1988 by the BMC, the MKN promoted theatre and became a popular venue drawing theatre enthusiasts, not only from Mulund and Thane but also the rest of the state. Three years later, BKLP trust was formed to run the administration of the Natyamandir. Till 2015, BKLP managed bookings and reservation of the theatre.

However, a senior BMC official said that the civic body was rethinking handing over the reins of MKN due to some alleged irregularities. However, no new trust or body can be appointed as the existing trust BKLP cannot be removed or dissolved until 2020.

“We had found some irregularities in the functioning of the Natyamandir. The trust did not transfer any benefit/income to the civic body which they earned from membership, theatres and function bookings. However, post discussion the matter will be resolved and the functioning may be handed over to BKLP by next week,” said a senior BMC official. BMC officials and BKLP trust members said that the Natyamandir is expected to start staging plays by next month.

“BMC officials, the Mayor, Opposition leader and the Leader of the House at BMC are all part of the committee that runs the Natyamandir. Even if the day-to-day affairs were taken care of by the BKLP, the major decisions were always taken by them. I was just informed by the BMC officials about the handing over. The responsibility will be handed over to BKLP officially by Monday or Tuesday. Following that, we will have to announce the re-opening and place advertisement inviting bookings for slots. This will take around 15-20 days. Music, theatre and sports lovers will not have to wait for long,” said Marathi actor and Shiv Sena leader Aadesh Bandekar, who is the Managing Trustee of BKLP. Kishore Kshirsagar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, said, “The matter has been resolved and we will be handing over the functioning of the Natyamandir to BKLP by next week. They can start booking slots after that.”

The Rs 28-crore renovation carried out by the BMC gave the auditorium a centralised air conditioning system and a fire proof carpet. The seating capacity, however, has been reduced from 1,546 to 1,326 to broaden the walkways and widen the chairs. “It took the BMC over a decade to get the much needed renovation done. After renovation, the green rooms of the artistes have been modified. Seating arrangements and the sound system of the theatre have been improved,” said Abhijeet Chavan , a resident of Mulund who has been closely associated with the events of the Natyamandir.

Many music and theatre lovers have been writing to the BMC officials and local political leaders to get the Natyamandir re-opened before Diwali. Well-known Marathi artistes recall screening of the plays and dramas at the Natyamandir. Plays including Sahi re Sahi (2002), Katyar Kaljat Ghusali (1967), Ashok Hande’s Marathi Bana (2005) and comedy plays starring actor Ashok Saraf were popularised by the theatre. Artistes recall, every new play director in Marathi would be keen to host his show in Kalidas Mandir, mainly for its capacity and crowd.

Veteran Marathi film and theatre actress Suhas Joshi, feels that the high cost of renovation would mean producers would have to shell out more for booking the slots for their shows. “This might affect the number of bookings at the Natyamandir. Recovering the costs could become a hurdle for the trust, so much so that lesser plays will be booked in the Natyamandir. Because of this the cost of tickets may be high, attracting a smaller audience. Taking into account the declining number of shows staged in a week and the tepid response to Marathi plays in recent years, a king-sized hall is hardly going to bring any luck to the future of Marathi theatre in the city,” Joshi said.