CGK National Theatre Festival begins

Bengalureans will be treated to some of the best plays from across the country at the CGK Rashtriya Rangotsava – a national theatre festival that begins on Monday. The six-day festival will showcase  six selected award-winning plays in Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam and Bengali languages.

The festival is being organised by Ranga Nirantara, the theatre group founded by C G Krishnaswamy who was a well-known name in Kannada Theatre. In its fourth year of existence, the festival will witness the participation of national theatre troupes from Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Kerala.

Some of the popular plays that will be staged at the festival include ‘Chillare Samaram,’ a political theatrical performance in Malayalam that showcases man’s protest against anti-human activities, oppression by corporate authorities among a host of other issues.

Another play, ‘Dohri Jindagi’ is a revolutionary theatrical performance in Hindi that revolves around two girls who challenge the societal terms of how men and women should lead their lives.

The plays that will be staged as part of the festival include Ekadashanana- a Kannada play by Alva’s Education Trust, Welcome Jindagi – a Hindi play by AKS Theatre, New Delhi, Ashwatham-the war machine, a Bengali play by Bengal Repertory, Kolkata, Valivade – a Kannada play by Gajanana Yuvaka Mandala, Sheshagiri among others.

“The idea of the plays is to bring people together through the medium of theatre and strike a conversation around pressing issues,” said B Vittal, president of Ranga Nirantara Sanskrutika Sangha. The festival will be held at Ravindra Kalakshetra from May 15 to May 20.