New Delhi, Aug 26 (IANS) In a treat for theatre buffs, the four-day annual festival “Hriday Manch” will begin on Thursday in the capital.
In its fourth edition, the festival this year will be showcasing plays with a focus on the folk element.
Organised by the Sparsh Natya Rang, the major attraction of the festival would be the Hindi adaptation of Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” this year.
“The idea behind the festival is to attract those who are not avid followers of theatre. That is why we chose plays which have universal themes. We also try to keep an element of folk every year. We want to encourage the art of theatrics that is peculiar to our country’s heritage”, said Ajit Chowdhury, director of the Sparsh Natya Rang group.
The opening production “Pati Gaye Ree Kathiawar” tells the story of a husband and wife. The play written by Sudhir B. Kulkarni is directed by Ajit Chowdhury.
The second play “Gudiya Ghar” is the adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s play. Directed by Basab Bhattacharya, the play would be presented by the group New Delhi Players.
Henrik Johan Ibsen, a Norwegian playwright, who is largely responsible for the rise of modern realistic drama, was inspired by the belief that a woman cannot be herself in modern society since it is an exclusively male society.
One of the finest plays written on women’s rights, it has the distinction of being the most performed play internationally. The play is as relevant today as it was in 1879.
Next in line would be “Mayaram Ki Maya”, which is based on a folk tale. Directed by J P Singh, the play is written by Jay Vardhan.
The last production “Mousaji Jai Hind” is written and directed by Vasant Kashikar. The play presented by the group Vivechana is adapted from a story by renowned Hindi writer Udai Prakash. The storyline revolves around an old man Mousaji who lives in an illusory world.
The plays will be staged from August 27 to August 30 at the Shri Ram Centre, Safdar Hashmi Marg, at 7 p.m.
