JOIN USAntharanga marks 41st year with theatre festival
Theatre troupe Antharanga was formed by 20 like-minded friends in 1980. They were working at the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bengaluru.
Over 40 years, it has staged 42 plays and seven street plays.
The group recently celebrated its 41st anniversary by hosting its annual theatre festival, featuring both well-known and up-and-coming groups.
M S Shyamsunder, popularly known as Uncle Shyam has been heading the group since the day it was formed.
“We have produced plays every single year. Our first production ‘Nayaka’ is popular to this day,” he says.
With youngsters carrying the baton forward, his daughter Archana Shyam has in recent years directed plays such as Shalabhanjike, Suryasta, Uttarabhoopa Beechi, Husband 360, Dharmastambha, and Project Nagna.
“Our play ‘Loka Shakuntala’ was performed at the Delhi International Theatre and we couldn’t be more proud,” he says.
Award for make-up artiste Ramachandra
Antharanga has been presenting the Make-up Nani Award for senior make-up artists since 2005.
This year, B M Ramachandra was presented the award on March 24. After quitting as a salesman from Raymond, Ramachandra decided to pursue his dream of being a theatre artiste. “When I started off in 1974, there was nobody with a theatre background in my family. Now my entire family is into theatre,” he says. Ramachandra, who lives in Mysuru, has worked with and seeks inspiration from eminent film music composer Hamsalekha. With 45 years in the art, he has received several awards. “It is important to work long and hard. If your love for theatre increases, your lifeline in it also increases,” he says.