Theatre festival showcases culture, tradition & society

PUNE: Traditions and cultures from different parts are set to take center stage at the 12-day IAPAR International Theatre Festival, which began on November 1. The plays scheduled for the festival will delve into issues that have been affecting modern society.

Taj Mahal ka Tender, a play by Ajay Shukla, will be staged on Friday. The play, written decades ago, still resonates with the audiences as it holds up a mirror to our society, showing corruption that is rooted in the bureaucratic mechanism. “During a chat with a friend, I had casually said that if

Shah Jahan

had decided to build Taj Mahal today, it would take him almost 25 years to just get the tender passed,” said Shukla.

Over the next 10 days, the festival will showcase theatrical productions from countries like Argentina, Sri Lanka, Korea, Germany, Sri Lanka, Turkey and India, with themes spanning mythology, feminism, love, red-tapism, war etc. The plays will be staged at Namdev Sabhagruha, Savitribai Phule Pune University and Jyotsna Bhole Sabhagruha, Shukrawar Peth.

“These plays carry with them the cultural connotations of the places they belong to. Every play has something connected with the work the artists do, the culture they represent and their background,” said Vidyanidhee Vanarase, the director of the festival. Vanarase added, “The kind of learning such festivals offer is unique. They help you understand different cultures and their thought processes. They also let you gain an insight into how your play is received by people from different parts of the world.”

Indian plays to be staged include four Hindi plays — Ghazab Teri Adaa, Ghasiram Kotwal, Taj Mahal ka Tender and Venunaad. Party, a Marathi play written by Mahesh Elkunchwar;

Chillara Samaram

, a

Malayalam

play directed by Arun Lal; and two Kannada plays — Madhyama Vyayoga and Su Bitre Banna, Ba Bitra Sunna — will also be staged. An English drama called Elephant in the Room, which the journey of a beheaded elephant god in search of his human head, and a non-verbal drama called In Transit are part of the Indian-origin list.


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