Recently, actor Ayushmann Khurana won Rs 90 lakh on a popular game show Deal or No Deal and pledged the entire sum to Thespo, the annual festival for theatre enthusiasts below the age of 25.
Khurana, who moved from theatre to make it big in Bollywood with Shoojit Sircar’s 2012 comedy Vicky Donor , said, “I am glad I could come forward to support Thespo and theatre in India because whatever I am today, I owe it to theatre. That’s where I started my career and gained acting skills.”
Khurana participated in the family game show, playing on behalf of Thespo. Hosted by actor Ronit Roy, Deal or No Deal is based on the international game show of the same name in which families compete to earn Rs 1 crore.
He pledged the prize money to the theatre festival with the intention of helping them reach out to Tier II and Tier III cities in 2016 and provide young theatre enthusiasts with a platform to showcase their talent.
The money will be set aside by the festival for its future outreach goals and to plan for the 18th edition of the festival.
Platform for youngsters
Quasar Thakore Padamsee, co-founder, Thespo & Artistic Director, QTP, reacted to the generous donation, “We are indeed humbled by our Deal or No Deal win, and are grateful for the opportunity to be part of the show. It is touching to see theatre loyalists like Ayushmann who believe in our vision to provide a platform to young theatre wallahs all over the country. It gives us the impetus to keep raising the standards of the festival, and continue our journey in revolutionising youth theatre in India.”
Earlier, Thespo used wishberry.in to crowdfund the 2015 edition, raising Rs 5 lakh.
The theme of Thespo’s 17th edition is ‘Spark the Drama’.
The festival has received 159 entries in 12 languages this year, out of which the festival has shortlisted five plays, seven special events including international acts, and collaborations, four platform performances, two fringe performances, 10 workshops, and four live music acts.
This year, the week-long festival has expanded its reach and will stage its events at the iconic Prithvi Theatre, the Godrej Theatre, NCPA, and cultural hub, The Hive.
Thespo has opted for online crowdfunding to raise a sum ofRs 5 lakh to fund the 2015 edition
