For the love of art

SD Sharma

Maintaining their tradition of excellence in promoting theatrical and allied arts, the city-based Theatre for Theatre (TFT) ensemble is coming up with the 15th annual edition of its 30-day-long Winter National Theatre Festival, which opens on January 29 at Navrang Theatre Bal Bhavan, Sector 23, Chandigarh. According to festival director Sudesh Sharma, the marathon art event is supported by North Zone Cultural Centre (NZCC) Patiala, SCZCC Nagpur, NCZCC Allahabad, Chandigarh administration, Haryana Kala Parishad, Punjab Sangeet Natak Akademi, Bhartendu Natya Akademi Lucknow and Punjabi University Patiala.

Claimed to be Asia’s biggest art festival, it comprises cultural, theatrical, literary and visual arts. The TFT has plans to stage 30 dramas, 30 nukkad nataks, 15 theatre workshops spanning 30 days, exhibitions on painting, photography, art and 29 RU-BA-RU sessions with eminent personalities from diverse art and literary fields and lot’s more. Some of them include Vivek Atrey IAS (retd), Rajbir Deswal IPS (retd.) KS Pannu IAS (retd), DP Sinha IAS (retd), Chander Trikha, Pawan Chopra, Piyush Punj, Bibi Harjinder Kaur, Satish Verma, Mukesh Gautam, Kirpal Kazak, to name a few.

Talking to Tribune Lifestyle, festival director Sudesh Sharma shared, “Since theatre is an art form that has poetry, visual art, literature, music, stage craft and more as its constituents, we have included these art forms in the festival.” TFT has organized 38 festivals so far including this winter festival. It started from three-day duration in 2004 to 30 days now, he added.

Here is a date wise brief of theatrical and musical events to be staged at the festival venue.

• Jan. 29- Punjabi play Kal Taran Guru Nanak Aaya
• Jan. 30- Can’t pay won’t pay in Hindi
• Jan.31- Kavi Sammelan
• Feb. 1- Punjabi play Loona
• Feb 2- Sri Ram Bijoy
• Feb 3- Aala Afsar
• Feb.4- Pyaar Ki Extra Class
• Feb. 5- Boodi Kaki
• Feb. 6- Mukhot Namcha
• Feb. 7- Short films Ram Leela and Who Log
• Feb. 8- Khamosh Adalat Jaari Hai
• Feb 9-Mahabhoj
• Feb. 10-Pooran
• Feb.11- Neelkanth Neerala
• Feb 12- Thoda Thoda Gandhi
• Feb. 13- Maar Prajay
• Feb.14- Tughlaq
• Feb. 15 Hun Mein Sett Haan
• Feb.16- Urubhangham
• Feb. 17- Flute recital by Pt. Chetan Joshi
• Feb. 18- Lahmon ki Mulaqat
• Feb 19- Pashmina
• Feb.20- Dance ballet Gandhari
• Feb. 21- Agg Di Kya Baat Hai
• Feb. 22- Documentary film and award ceremony
• Feb. 23- Nugra Ka Tamasha
• Feb.24- Sidhiyan
• Feb.25- Kahaniyon Ka Manchan
• Feb.26- Court Martial
• Feb. 27- Kal Taran Guru Nanak Aaya

Theatre performances are from 6.30 pm onwards; theatre workshops from 2pm to 4 pm; street plays from 1pm to 2pm at different venues.