RangSutra: Festival Of Performing Arts: Events in Hyderabad

REVIEW FOR RANGSUTRA: FESTIVAL OF PERFORMING...

Cisne For Arts, along with Sutradhar & Rangadhara, is presenting RangSutra, a Festival of Performing Arts, from 1st to 4th March, at the NIFT auditorium.

Dedicated to various creative expressions in theatre, dance and fine arts, the festival is an amalgam of young talent from all over India. The schedule is as follows:

1 March

7:30pm: Ghalib - The Musical, By Pierrot's Troupe, New Delhi

This Urdu play is all about a 70-year-old Ghalib (Tom Alter) who narrates the memoirs of his life to his first biographer Maulana Altaf Hussein Hali.

Ghalib is an intriguing man named Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib - a master yet a rundown poet, a privileged yet pitiable elite, an extravagant yet a poor noble, a devout person yet a self-effacing lover, an irreverent yet pious husband; and a self-seeking yet altruistic person.

The play is the latest production of Pierrot's Troupe - a theatre company credited with re-discovering the genre of "bio (graphical) drama". Premiered in August 2008, the play has 47 shows to its credit.

It has been scripted and directed by Dr. M Sayeed Alam, and stars Tom Alter, Vijay Gupta, Anil George, Hareesh Chhabra, Nida Sayeed and 16 others.

2 March

7:30pm: Mohen-Jo-Daro - Play By Big Bang Theatres, Mumbai

This Hindi play is a story of love in the face of war. The story begins when a group of Aryans, headed by Indra, attacks Mohenjodaro. They have to face defeat at the hands of Akshat, the chief of the army from Mohenjodaro.

Akshat is in love with the daughter of the head of Mohenjodaro, Sugandha. But then, he learns that she loves his biggest enemy Indra.

The duration of the play is 1 hour and 40 minutes. It has been directed by Kulvinder Bakshish, and written & co-produced by Akashaditya Lama.

3 March

11am: Vivarta - Flute Recital By Jayaprada Ramamurthy & Group

Vivarta is a theme which brings out the countless shades of the echoing wind that voyages through the bamboo. Vivarta depicts the various manifestations of a raaga that is reincarnated with every improvised phrase of music.

About Jayaprada Ramamurthy: Jayaprada is currently the only female flute artiste representing the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. For her experimentations on the bamboo, she was awarded the National Award for Excellence in Fine Arts, at New Delhi. She has also been honored with prestigious records and awards, including the Global World Record, Unique World Record, National Record.

1:00pm - Sufi Kathak By Mangala Bhatt, Hyderabad

This is a Kathak performance based on Kabir's poetry, by Kathak exponent Mangala Bhatt.

7:30pm - Main Krishna Krishn Ki - Play By Avitoko (Chennai)

This is a solo performance in Hindi, by Vibha Rani, based on the relationship between Krishn & Draupadi. Deeply in love with Krishn, Draupadi expresses her wish to marry him.

However, Krishn cannot marry her. He explains that they have been sent on earth bound by the duties of Dharma. According to what has been decided for her, she will get married to Arjun - the 3rd of the Pandav brothers.

Accepting the ways of destiny, she is married to all the Pandava brothers, and subjected to misgivings thereafter. She holds her friendship with Krishn in high esteem, and often turns to him to seek advice and help.

The monologue is in Draupadi's voice as Krishna, who has repeatedly questioned decisions made for her in which she has no say. She also represents the women today who are often faced with similar situations. Her quest for freedom & individuality compels her to negate standards and protocols set for women by society & instead make her own path.

The performance lasts for 60 minutes. It has been directed by Bombay Kannan, who has also scored the music.

9pm: Mitra - Bharatanatyam By Ramaa Bharadwaj, Bangalore

A solo Bharatnatyam recital, Mitra is a presentation in the Ekaharya style of one performer in multiple roles, with an original soundscape recorded professionally in a studio in Chennai.

It begins with "Mitranjali", a specially-created invocation celebrating friendship between the earth and the environment, and expands into "Mitra-Katha", a dance-story on friendship based on a moving episode from "Srimad Bhagavatam" - one of the 18 illustrious mythological texts of India.

It lyrics in 5 languages - Sanskrit, Avadhi, Hindi, Malayalam and Tamizh - by 7 poets - Vyasa, Vallabacharya, Ramapurathu Warrier, Oothukkadu Venkata Subbaiyer, Narrottamdas, Surdas and Paramacharya of Kanchi.

4 March

11am: Gadha Ya Aadmi - Ek Prahasan (Puppetry Performance) By Gombemane Puppet House, Dharwad

A washerman does not have children, but his ass is both a servant and a son to him. Convinced by the argument of a scholarly Maulvi that it is possible to turn an ass into a man, the washerman surrenders the ass, along with some money, to the Maulvi.

After 6 months the washerman goes with his wife to see the Maulvi, with great hope. The Maulvi tells them that their son now has become a "Qazi" in the city of Varanasi.

The washerman, with his wife, rushes to the city. Has the ass become a judge? How does the judge treat his parents? What kind of lesson do they learn from the man-ass or the ass-man?

The dramatized version of the story is performed with leather puppets.

The play is in Hindi, and lasts for 50 minutes. The director is Dr. Prakash Garud.

7:30pm: The Untouched - Play By Sutradhar, Hyderabad

The play portrays 2 polarities in its two completely different characters - Julie, a crippled young girl with an unyielding zest for life and all its passions, and a novitiate who is preparing herself for the religious and regulated life of the nunnery, who declares that she is to be married to Lord Jesus. Through their dialogues and shared experiences, we encounter the constant battle that rages within many of us.

Directed by Bhaskar Shewalkar and translated by Vinay Varma, this play is in Hindi & English. It lasts for an hour.

About The Organizers

Rangadhara was formed in July 1971, by a group of 4 theater enthusiasts, whose first production, Samuel Beckett's "Waiting For Godot", won the Best Direction Award and 7 other awards in the Maharashtra Rajya Natya Spardha during the year 1973-74. This amateur theater group has produced 75 plays, with over 300 performances in Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, English and Telugu.

Sutradhar, formally launched as Sutradhar Casting Agency Pvt. Ltd. in 1996, was Started by Vinay Verma. Vinay Varma is a theatre actor and a product of Rangadhara. Sutradhar has produced about 40 plays so far.

Donor passes to the festival cost Rs. 300 per show (Rs. 150 for the puppetry performance) and Rs. 1,500 for the entire festival.

Please contact Harini 96187-75384 / Vinay 98480-52541 for further details.