The TFT Winter National Theater Festival 2024 to celebrate Devendra Raj Ankur’s 50 years of Kahani Rangmanch
About a thousand artistes, 25 plays, musical performances and ru-ba-ru with directors — the fifth edition of Theatre For Theatre’s 30-day festival is all set to roll today. This is one of the longest theatre festivals in the country.
Along with plays from celebrated playwrights, interaction with directors, exhibitions by children, the 19th TFT Winter National Theater Festival 2024 will dedicate four days to music as well. Enthused about the mega show, festival director Sudesh Sharma, recipient of the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in Theatre Direction for the Year 2021-22, shared, “This edition will see teams from six states/UTs – Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. About a thousand artistes will become part of it!”Scheduled for the evenings, different segments will begin from 5 pm, starting with activity/ ru-ba-ru with the directors, followed by exhibition, and the main event at 6:30pm. The duration of each play/performance is of 60 to 90 minutes. The festival is being organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, Haryana Kala Parishad and Language and Cultural Department of Himachal Pradesh.
Festival coordinator Harwinder Singh is one busy man. This year is special for him as he is to receive Ustad Bismilah Khan Yuva Award 2022-23 later this month. Scheduling, managing meals, transport and stay of artistes, Harwinder is enjoying being at the helm of affairs, “We are a core team of about 10 people, who have been managing this massive project. In total, the team has as many as 30-32 persons.”
This year, TFT celebrates Devendra Raj Ankur’s 50 years of Kahani Ka Rangmanch. The Sirasa-born, Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee is the National School of Drama alumnus. He joined it later as a faculty member and became the director in 2001. Through Kahani Ka Rangmanch, he stages stories as close to their original form. Taking from Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and Bengali literature, his important productions include Mahabhoj, Anaro, Khanaba- dosh, Rustam-Sohrab, Yahudi ki Ladki, Abhigyana Shakuntalam, Mrichhakatika, Ai Ladki and Uska Bachpan.
And the festival will stage the veteran theatre director’s Mannu Ki Betiya, which is based on Mannu Bhandari’s short stories. The line-up includes Bhram-Dosh by Umesh Kant, Adakaar-Aad Ant Ki Sakhi by Kewal Dhaliwal, Maadhvi by Abhishek Sharma, Hun Main Set Haan by Baninnderjit Singh Bunny, Lokmanya Tilak by Kehar Singh Thakur and The Doll by Ustad Bismilah Khan-awardee Kedar Singh Thakur among others.
Theatre For Theatre will stage four of its plays during the festival, which are Sandhya Chhaya, Hind Di Chaadar, Kanak Di Bali and Loha Kutt. Putul Nacher Ashor, The Puppet Theatre Chandigarh will also be part of the festival with its play titled Ray Of Hope by Shubashish Neogi.
Musical performances will include Punjabi folk singing by Sunita Dua Sehgal, a bhajan sadhya by Tejasvni Sharma and a classical concert titled Anubhuti – Soul of Ragas by Pt Vinod Pawar. There will also be a dastan-goi performance called Dastan-e-Chauboli by Munna Dhiman.
Sudesh Sharma credits the successful run of the festivals to theater artistes, art lovers and critics of Chandigarh. “We hope to present another scintillating edition this winter,” said Sharma.
On at Mini Auditorium, Tagore Theatre.
Ru-ba-ru 5pm-6pm, plays/performances 6:30 pm onwards. Entry free
