Curtains go up on Bharat Rang Mahotsav; inaugural Bengali play ‘Jagannath’ steals the show

In a good news for theatre connoisseurs and enthusiasts, the 13-day festival (February 14 to 26) along with a bouquet of multilingual plays will also offer allied events like interactive sessions with eminent theatre and cinema personalities, book launches, director meet-ups, seminars and masters classes, all delving into the all-embracing world of theatre.

The festival is being held under the aegis of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ and ‘Festive Spirits of India’s G-20 Presidency’.

“We received over 700 proposals, out of which 100-plus plays were selected by our committee of experts. We reviewed and analysed all the scripts and then shortlisted the 80 plays that will be performed this year in the festival. Apart from this, there are some invited plays, which are recommended by experts,” Professor (Dr) Ramesh Chandra Gaur, NSD director told The Indian Express.

Opening ceremony

The opening ceremony of the festival, which started at 6 pm, was inaugurated by the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal, and was marked by the presence of theatre aficionados like Paresh Rawal, who is also the NSD chairman, Ram Gopal Bajaj, who was the former director of the institution, and CBFC board member Vani Tripathi Tikoo along with Prof (Dr) Ramesh Chandra Gaur.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal at the opening ceremony of Bharat Rang Mahotsav. (Photo: NSD)

The event kicked off with minister Meghwal’s speech highlighting the importance of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and how this clarion call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be resonating with the dramas that will be staged during the course of the theatre carnival. Being an artist himself, Meghwal also joked that “Kabhi mere se bhi koi natak kara sakte ho, Bikaner mai Rammat kiya karta tha mai” (You can even ask me to perform someday, I used to perform ‘Rammat’ in Bikaner)

When eminent theatre and cinema personality Paresh Rawal took stage, the audience welcomed him with high-octane cheers and applause. Rawal who cited his 43 years of theatre journey claimed that “even if movies can make money, they cannot replace the joy and satisfaction that comes from performing on stage.”

“Theatre, as opposed to movies, allows you to try new things as an actor, which is rewarding. Additionally, I use all of my life experiences into my performances when I do plays,” the actor-politician added.

Bajaj, Tikoo, and Gaur also shared their stories connected to theatre.

Performance of ‘Jagannath’

After the opening ceremony, a 140-minute-long Bengali drama ‘Jagannath’ was performed. The play centres around the eponymous Jagannath, a poor, innocent, and illiterate villager who becomes a victim of a series of unfortunate events. His struggle to survive is punctuated by the repeated humiliation that he faces from all quarters.

The drama takes a deep dive into Jagannath’s simple-yet-complex personality. It focuses on how he admits to a crime that he never committed only to attain a moral high ground and how his circumstances plunge him into darkness, ultimately leading to his death.

‘Jagannath’ was presented by the Kolkata-based theatre group Chetana. It was directed by renowned theatre director Arun Mukherjee and written by Lu Xun.

Mukherjee told The Indian Express that his team has been staging this drama for 47 years. “Usually we find only Bengali audiences. This is a special occasion as the non-Bengali audience not only came to watch the play but also appreciated it,” he said.

Padma Shri awardee Rita Ganguly, who felicitated Mukherjee after the play, lauded all actors who were passionately involved in the performance. “It seemed that it was immaterial to them that they were liked or not. They were just deeply involved in the show.”

Ganguly also recounted the days when the theatre festival organised by the NSD had started in 1999. “Bharat Rang Mahotsav is an effort by all of us who worked with Prof Ram Gopal Bajaj. We have all worked and fought for this to happen.”

Rawal described ‘Jagannath’ as one of his favourite plays and said that this play was performed on his special request.

Acclaimed theatre director and actor Suman Mukhopadhyay, who performed the character of ‘Nanda’ in the play, said that people still relate to the play when it is staged. “It’s a classic. It’s never time-worn. It is always as if the time kind of builds up inside the play and brings new meanings for the contemporary times,” Mukhopadhyay said.

What’s new this year?

On the unique features of the 22nd Bharat Rang Mahotsav, Professor Gaur told The Indian Express, “Earlier BRM used to happen in Delhi over a long period of time. But this time we will be doing 80 plays in 10 different Indian cities. 33 plays will happen in Delhi and 47 plays in nine other cities.”

“The festival this year is being held in a collaborative model in which NSD has tied up with state governments and institutions. For example in Jaipur, we have tied up with Jawahar Kala Kendra. One of the advantages is that artists and organisations spanning all over the country will feel like a part of the national theatre festival. Another benefit is that it also brings down costs by almost 20 per cent as we are getting venues, accommodation, and/or transport free in several cities,” said Gaur.

Unlike in pre-pandemic years, there will be no international production in this year’s edition. Gaur, however, said that there are plans to organise an international segment of the festival during the G20 Summit.

What should we look forward to?

Plays like Katha Ek Kans Ki, Jaun Elia Ka Jin, Vitton, Shakuntala, Inder Sabha, Raaz, Isi Din Isi Waqt, Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai, Welcome Zindagi, Jugi Triyao, apart from various other classical dramas, will be staged during the festival.

The NSD campus will also be alive with street plays, director meet-ups – where theatre enthusiasts can chat with the creators of the drama the morning after a show, book releases (including one on Irfan Khan), and workshops by renowned theatre personalities.

Bollywood actors and theatre aficionados Adil Hussain and Pankaj Tripathi will be gracing the occasion on February 18 and 21 respectively to share their experiences in acting and theatre.