Over 800 artists from various parts of the country, will perform plays in eight languages at Rangayana, during the eleventh annual ‘Bahuroopi’. The theatre fest will be held from January 14 to 20, with the theme - ‘Sufi-Saint-Harmony’.
Addressing a press meet, Rangayana director, H Janardhan said that the plays scheduled to be staged during the play were chosen based on the reviews received and the impact the plays had on the audience.
The troupe, Municipal Corporation Workers Union, Pune, in which 75 per cent of the performing artists are Pourakarmikas, will stage ‘Satya Shodak’, a Marathi play based on the life of social reformer Jyothiba Phule.
‘Macbeth’, a Malayalam play from Abhinaya Theatre Research Center, Kerala, ‘Agniko Katha’, Nepali play by Aarohan Theatre Group, Nepal and ‘Hijda’, Marathi play from Akanksha Rangabhumi, Pune, are among the prominent plays being performed during the festival. In Kannada, ‘Nammolagobba Najookayya’ by Nataranga, Bangalore, ‘Devanampriya Ashoka’ by Gothami Foundation and ‘Mecca Dari’ by Tarikita Kala Kammata, Mangalore will be staged.
Film festival
Bahuroopi film festival will also be held during the festival. As many as 19 films, such as ‘Rebel Music of Americas’ (Spanish), ‘Crazy Stranger’ (Romanian), ‘Rebel Music-The Bob Marley Story’ (English), ‘Kabir Khada Bazaar Mein’ (Hindi) and ‘Jai Bhim Comrade’ (English) will be screened.
A two day seminar on Sufism, will be held at University of Mysore premises. Renowned musician Pandit Rajeev Taranath, thinkers Rahmat Tarikere, G K Govinda Rao, Muzaffar Assadi, Rajappa Dalavayi and others will take part in the seminar. Talks on ‘Sufi-Saint-Philosophy of Love’, ‘Sufi-Saint-Religion’, ‘Sufi-Saint-Secularism’ and ‘Sufi-Saint-Nativity’ and a special session ‘Experience-Mysticism’, will be held on January 18 and 19.
Budget
Janardhan said that the State government has sanctioned Rs 35 lakh for the national festival. Entry fees for the plays staged will be Rs 30 during the festival.