LUCKNOW: The three-day Dastak Youth Festival began under the theme 'Lucknow, the city of love, peace, culture and equality' at UP Sangeet Natak Akademi on Sunday. It was inaugurated after offering garlands on the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Valmiki auditorium.
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It was followed by a song, 'Tu zinda hai to zindagi ki jeet par yakeen kar' by Mahendra Pal. A qissagoi titled 'Kambakht Aurate' was presented by dastango Arshana Aanand. The youth from different colleges and universities of the city participated in stand-up comedy, group dance, Akhilesh Dixit skit competition, Baitbazi and rangoli competition.
"Akhilesh Dixit, famed translator and theatre artist, was closely associated with Dastak. He passed away two years back and to pay tribute to him and also to make the youth aware about him we have named the skit competition in his name," said the organizer Deepak Kabir.
Akram Jafri (18) and Arpan Tandon (20), students of a private college who registered in the short film competition, said that it was an opportunity to make good bonds with his friends.
Nitin Chaudhary (22), another participant, said that he got an opportunity to showcase his skill of making rangoli on water which he learnt during a workshop.
Mimicking Shahrukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Pankaj Tripathi, Akhilesh Tiwari, 23, said that he had been waiting to showcase his talent.