Society holds 182nd theatre festival

Tribune News Service 

Patiala, June 9 

The monthly garden theatre movement, which was launched by the National Theatre Arts Society (NTAS) 15 years ago, held its 182nd festival today. The event was organised in cooperation with the Sarbat Da Bhala Charitable Trust at Baradari Gardens here. 

Dr Sawraj Singh, an expert on world affairs, social activist Indermohan Singh Bazaz and poet-singer Subhash Malik inaugurated the festival by paying floral tributes to Lord Shiva amid Sanskrit “shalokas”. 

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Sawraj said the NTAS not only provided entertainment through their plays but also countered the materialist outlook of the West by preaching compassion. Dr Sawraj asserted that the West was now finding solace in the philosophy of universal brotherhood preached by the East. 

Cash awards were also given to 30 theatre artistes. The plays like “Bharti Sanskriti Zindabad” by Kailash Atwal group, Harsarn Singh’s “Ik Bechari Maan”, “Kaka-Pataka”, musicals and folk dances by NTAS artistes besides a one-man presentations by Pran Sabharwal were highlights of the day.  

Sabharwal expressed gratitude towards all associates, especially Sanjiv Kumar, manager, Rajindera Hospital branch of the SBoP, Dr Rajinder Singh Garcha, Deputy Director Horticulture, for their help and guidance. The artistes, who stole the limelight were  choreographer Jagdish Kumar, music inc-harge Kamal Bains, Gurmeet Kaur Kamboj, Sweety Rajput, Yuvraj Dhaliwal, Mangal Singh Jelly, Daman, Prerna, Rajat Chauhan, Vishal Sharma and Gurjinder Singh.