Bahuroopi from February 14 on theme ‘Gandhi Patha’

Bahuroopi, the annual national theatre festival of Rangayana, will be held from February 14 to 19, on the theme ‘Gandhi Patha’ (path) on the premises of Rangayana and also Kalamandira in the city.

Addressing a media conference, here, on Monday, Director of Rangayana Addanda Cariappa said that actor and theatre person Ananth Nag will inaugurate Bahuroopi.

“It is the 31st Bahuroopi of Rangayana and the nation is celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. My resolve when I took charge as director was ‘Panthadinda pathadedege’, meaning ‘from isms, towards the path’. Now, Bahuroopi will be ‘Rastra Pitaninda, rastra pathadedege’, meaning ‘from father of the nation towards national path’,” he said.

Ghandhism

Cariappa said that the theme of the festival this year is to propagate Ghandhism.

“The focus will be on the principles of Gandhi like truth, non-violence, simplicity, dignity of labour and women empowerment. Salt, charaka and bhajans will be part of the festival to depict poverty, work and humility. Work culture and humility are the basic principles of Gandhi. Steps are being taken to facilitate the participation of students of Gandhian Studies from across the nation,” he said.

He said, “A total of 24 plays, 13 of them in Kannada, will be staged during the six-day festival. Besides, there will be a national seminar on February 16 and 17, with five sessions, 10 papers and interaction. Twenty movies, all based on Gandhi and those who were influenced by his principles, will be screened in Bahuroopi film festival.”

A Bahuroopi sculpture, presented by Karnataka Shilpakala Academy will be unveiled on February 14. All events of Bahuroopi are being organised in association with the respective academy of the state government. The festival will be a grand one on the lines of Mysuru Dasara,” Cariappa said.

Prelude to Bahuroopi

Actor Geetha Montadka said, “Janapada Utsava will be inaugurated on February 13 as a prelude to Bahuroopi by chairperson of Karnataka Janapada Academy Manjamma Jogati in the presence of Ibrahim Sutar from Bagalkot.”

She said, “The folk art farms will be presented on all days of Bahuroopi festival in the evenings and seven state academies of Yakshagana, Bayalaata, Kodava, Arebashe, Beary, Konkani, and Tulu.”

“Folk art troupes from South Zone Cultural Centre in Nagpur and South Central Cultural Centre of Tanjavur will take part in the festival. There will be singing of lavani and tatwapada on Gandhi,” said Geetha.