Two-day fest showcases work of late theatre artiste Gurcharan Singh Chani at Punjab Kala Bhawan

Chandigarh, October 20

Punjab Sangeet Natak Academy and CEVA Drama Repertory Company presented “Akki Naa Thakki Naa Jhakki Naa”, a two-day festival, at Punjab Kala Bhawan showcasing work of late Gurcharan Singh Chani, a renowned theatre person. This festival is an annual feature and organised on Chani’s birth anniversary, which falls on October 19. It culminated on Thursday night.

On Wednesday evening, a play, “Main Jala Di Jaaongi”, was put together by the CEVA repertory. It was first performed in year 1991 and has been staged several times since then. The play was created as a community theatre production. A film, “Chilkana Camp”, directed by Chani was screened on Thursday around 6 pm at the same venue. It was created with the inhabitants of Chilkana, a village in UP, especially women. People of Chilkana acted in the film and the narrative was created around what they shared about their lives.

Chani directed nearly 100 films, including documentary series, and different kinds of films, especially for television. His documentaries explored a wide range of subjects as there are films on folk art forms, fairs and festivals of India, classical dance forms and films presenting women issues directed by Chani. The most-loved and famous of these is a series on the Forts of India. Throughout his life, Chani was passionately committed to refine and evolve the process of community theatre.