Socially relevant plays have immense social impact, and it is precisely for this reason that street theatre exponent Safdar Hashmi was killed by capitalists who felt threatened, says playwright and theatre personality L. Satyanand.
“It was a strange coincidence that I was in New Delhi on the day the street play exponent was chased and killed by hired goons. I, along with my team, had reached Delhi to stage my play ‘Bommalata’ in the Sangeet Natak Akademi’s National Theatre Festival,” he recalled.
Their play was rescheduled and the entire troupe had to stay back for a few more days, he said.
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Folk art had been an integral component of my plays, he added.
“Folk art is a rich legacy, which has to be nurtured for our future generations,” thespian Vonkayala Satyanarayana said, and complimented Praja Natya Mandali for nurturing folk arts.
Folk artistes from the city would be performing in the four-day festival being organised at Gandhi statue opposite the GVMC as part of the Safdar Hashmi Folk Art Festival that got under way on Saturday.
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The programmes would be held in the evenings.
On Saturday, a troupe from Chinna Waltair performed the traditional Teen Maar drum beat. ‘Puliveshagallu’ and ‘Chakka Bhajana’ were also performed.
MLC M.V.S. Sarma, Ajay Sarma of the CITU, and activists of the Praja Natya Mandali were present.
A large audience gathered to watch the folk performances.
Folk art has been an integral component of my plays
L. Satyanand
Playwright
Safdar Hashmi Folk Art Festival gets under way