Allied Activities during 8th Theatre Olympics 2018_National School of Drama (7th March 2018)

New Delhi, March 7, 2018: Meet The Director: Director Mr.Devendra Raj Ankur (Aadhi Sadi) attended the session today. Eminent theatre critics Mr. Vinod Bhardwaj and Mr.Sangam Pandey were also present.

Talking about his play ‘Aadhi Sadi’, Mr.Devendra Raj Ankur says, “I believe theatre is the platform of an actor. Director doesn’t have much to do on it. Once the play is on, it’s only the actor who can make it a success or a disaster. I have presented same stories multiple times in theatre but no production can be compared with another because each time the actors change and they bring their own perspective in the play and depict a scene in a completely different style on the stage. I as a director do not impose anything on actors as improvisation is their right.”

Commenting on the play ‘Aadhi Sadi’, theatre critic Mr. Vinod Bhardwaj says, “All the four stories presented in the play are classics and I liked the fact that the production had perfect proportions of acting, dance and music.”

Today’s Other Activities

The stage of 8th Theatre Olympics today saw Indian folk dance forms as well as modern performances. Nautanki, an operatic theatre, was performed based on popular themes derived from romantic tales, mythologies and biographies of local heroes on one hand. On the other hand, experimental dancing exploring the images, sounds, concepts, revelations and complexities of our time enthralled the audience. The folk dances of Haryana and Sirmor Natti from the state of Himachal Pradesh were also performed, displaying the spectacular cultural diversity in India. While the traditional acts left the audience fascinated, Sidi Goma performed by Sidis, an ethnic group of people in India who descended from the Africans. Sidi Goma presents the range of Sidi music and dance adapted from the rituals in the African continent. The biggest highlight of the act was a freshly plucked coconut that disappears into the sky only to be cracked atop the dancer’s head.

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*Tomorrow’s Highlights (Meet The Director): (Venue: Yoga Hall; Time: 11:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M.)

Name of the Directors attending the session:

Ms. Aishwarya Atul Shidaye, play director (Muktai)

Mr. Shyamal Kumar Chakraborty, play director (Marono Re Ichchhamrityu Ebong)

Mr. Santanu Bose, play director (Tebas Land)

Mr. Pino Di Buduo, play director (The Suspended Thread)

*Programmes subject to last moment changes