A burgeoning festival, the 13th Bharat Rang Mahotsav beginning January 7 will bring together 82 productions, including 23 international ones. Announcing the festival, the National School of Drama Chairperson Amal Allana and Director Anuradha Kapur, at a press conference, threw light on the highlights of the festival.
On the gamut of productions from abroad
Plays are coming in for the first time from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Serbia, Ukraine and United States.
Amal Allana: The quantity (of groups from abroad) is increasing. We are exposing our works to them too and it is a movement forward.
Anuradha Kapur on Latin America getting such representation: These countries have been travelling to India and have performed in Kerala (at the International Theatre Festival of Kerala) lately. So many productions from Latin America also help us know the trends there.
Three countries despite selection won't make it to the festival. The team from Iran encountered visa problems while Australia and Columbia have travelling fund issues.
On the idea behind the Bharat Rang Mahotsav
Anuradha Kapur: We continue to stick to the basic idea behind the festival when it began 13 years ago. The purpose was to be a major platform for contemporary theatre as the Sangeet Natak Akademi was doing that for traditional forms. At that time there were not many festivals like this, though now there are festivals like the Kerala festival, The Hindu festival, etc.
On the festival not just being a “gala” event
Amal Allana: In the day time we have lots of talks and lectures. The theatre students from the Asia Pacific region are also here (as part of the Asia Pacific Bureau Drama Schools Meet). It is also the time when students of theatre from across the country come here and watch plays for two weeks. It is a phenomenal learning experience to further theatre awareness and professionally look into productions. There is also space for very young theatre actors and directors and it is an important contribution to making theatre vibrant.
On mimes, silent and choreographed productions being part of the festival
Anuradha Kapur: There are very many different kind of things happening (in theatre). There are different kinds of performances happening and sometimes we have never paid enough attention to them, for example there is a project on social gaming here. The language of theatre is expanding and so is the performance language.
On events at the fringes
Anuradha Kapur: There is an exhibition on actors. There is also focus on the theatre-making process, the training happening in our region, and also an attempt to look behind the scenes.
A highlight is the duet dance and music by Min Tanaka and Aki Takahashi from Japan.
On five NSD diploma productions being part of the festival
Amal Allana: When we are training students, we are not propagating actors alone, but we are exposing ourselves to criticism too. However much we do for the students, it is not enough. We want them to get jobs. We are not wasting public funds.
Anuradha Kapur: How many times their productions are staged is not the problem. The thrust is on opening them out to criticism. It is all part of education.
