‘Healthy plays are a must for the mind just as nutritious food is to body’: Actor Dr Mohan Agashe

“Plays and movies are always watched for enjoyment, which is vital; but, just as the body needs nutritious food and the mind requires pleasure from the plays given at this festival, healthy plays are equally essential,” said the former psychiatrist with the B J Medical College and Sassoon Hospital in Pune.

Playwright Ajit Dalvi inaugurated the third edition of the festival, which was organised by Parivartan Sanstha. He called for organising the festival at different places.

Writers Rajiv Naik and Milind Bokil, Assistant Commissioner of Police Shailesh Balkawde, Nandkishore Rathi, psychiatrist Amol Deshmukh, director Atul Pethe, and Dr Hamid Dabholkar of Parivartan Sanstha were present on the occasion.

Staging dramas, earning scholarships

A booklet published by Sadhana Publications titled ‘Manasrangache Antarang‘ was also released during the festival.

Every year Parivartan Sanstha selects three directors for staging dramas on mental health and they are given scholarships. Pethe, Naik, Bokil, Anjali Joshi and Dabholkar are among the experts who mentor the selected directors, writers and artists. These three directors then stage new plays that address mental health issues, problem-solving and enlightenment, and their first experiments are presented at the festival. Later these plays are staged at different places.

Plays ‘Stand Up Vinod’ directed by Ketan Jadhav and ‘A Bismillah’ by Rasika Agashe were staged on the first day, while ‘Where Is SSS?’ directed by Zameer Kamble, ‘And the Plays’ and ‘Then you Eat Me’ directed by Vibhavari Deshpande were performed on the next day.

The event also saw interactive segments between the writer, director, and audience.

Director and convener of Manasrang Natya Mahotsav Atul Pethe said that 10 best plays have come to Marathi theatre through this scholarship.