War Zone

From the trauma of 9/11 in Gowri Ramnarayan8217;s Water Lilies to the fear of extinction in Asif Ali Khan8217;s 59 minutes, 60 seconds, theatre directors have, as NSD Chairperson Amal Allana says, 8220;refracted the disturbing times in which we live through a prism of passionate productions8221;.

The foreign contingent has brought in its own perspectives 8212; Letter of Suffering from Afghanistan and Mayadevi ke Sapne from Nepal invoke the pain of loss in war, while The Days of Adel from Israel reveals the schizophrenia of living in a divided world. 8220;Helen Cinque8217;s Afghan production Le Tartuffe and Suveeran8217;s Malayalam play Ayussinte Pustakam also discuss the troubled relationship between religion, politics and society,8221; said Allana.

Over 12 days, Delhi can watch 63 plays, including a dozen by international troupes. What about doubts that invariably surface about the selection process? 8220;This year, we had an advisory committee that laid down parameters to sift from the pile of 400 entries,8221; said Allana, adding that they tried to give a pan-Indian representation and include up-and-coming directors. 8220;There are 10 new faces this year,8221; said Allana, ticking their names 8212; Zuleikha Chaudhuri from Delhi, Mohit Takalkar from the Marathi stage, Santanu Bose from Bengal and Jyotish MG from Kerala, among others.

While political commentary forms a major theme of the festival, there will be love stories like Laila Majnu and Ishq Su Jaag Da Mool based on Heer Ranjha; a modern telling of folktales like Agnijal, Kirit Parva and Karna Katha; and futuristic performances like The Painted World, a Czech play that evolves through black light effects.

If politics dominates, can Badal Sircar be far away? The festival will include an exhibition of the eminent theatreperson8217;s works as a tribute to his influence on alternative theatre methods.

For tickets and details, contact 23389402