On world theatre day, Bengaluru’s theatre frat gathers to discuss way forward for the future

The need for more collaboration was the key point of discussion held in the city on Monday

Bengaluru’s theatre community celebrated World Theatre Day on Monday, discussing ways to reduce the burden of cost and effort on artistes while maintaining production value. “While many theatre-related events happen in Bengaluru, they are mostly organised by a single theatre group. We wanted to celebrate together as a community,” shared Amit Aggarwal, founder of Bangalore Hindi Theatre Association and one of the organisers.
Nearly 80 participants attended the event, where theatre artiste Sangeetha Ghoshal, founder of Forum-Three, was the chief guest. The event included a panel discussion on the topic of “Learning the Ropes from Young Directors,” moderated by Amit Aggarwal. The panel featured Aashish Rana, founder of Theatrenama, Aritra Biswas, co-founder of Dramarsis, Devashish Singhbal, co-founder of Urban Chaupal, and Neha Mehta, founder of Act Factory.
During the 45-minute discussion, the speakers shared their experiences of entering the field, the challenges they faced, and the skill set they required to succeed. “Amateurs need to realise that theatre is much more than just acting. Backstage work, lighting, costume, music, and assisting a director are all areas in which they can contribute, making them a well-rounded theatre person,” said Amit.
Notable names in the industry such as Abhishek Iyengar (Wemove Theatre), Raghav Bhotika (21 Grammes Films), Faria Fatma (TOYO), Piyush Agrawal (Tahatto Theatre), and Vikram Sridhar were present at the event.