The 20th Winter National Theatre Festival showcased an impressive spread of performances and activities

The 20th Winter National Theatre Festival, organised by Theatre for Theatre (TFT), concluded on November 25 with a grand finale that encapsulated decades of artistic commitment and collaboration.The festival’s closing Ru-Ba-Ru session, an interactive dialogue with festival director and Ustaad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar awardee Harwinder Singh, became an emotional and reflective moment that captured the essence of TFT’s journey and future aspirations.Harwinder Singh shared that his association with TFT and its founder Sudesh Sharma began in 2001, laying the foundation for a creative partnership that would shape Chandigarh’s theatre scene for nearly 25 years. From 2004 onward, he became instrumental in coordinating and organising more than 49 theatre festivals across Tricity — including 19 editions of the Winter National Theatre Festival itself, as well as the Basant, Baisakhi, Oscar and Summer Theatre Festivals.Reflecting on this year’s edition, Singh revealed that the 2025 festival showcased an impressive spread of performances and activities: 10 major plays, four street plays, eight Ru-Ba-Ru sessions, bhand-marasi and mime acts and four thematic exhibitions. He credited the festival’s success to the unwavering support of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, the Chandigarh Administration’s Art & Culture Department, North Zone Cultural Center (NZCC) Patiala, Haryana Kala Parishad, and the enthusiastic theatre-loving audience of the region.Yet, this year carried deeper emotional weight for him. Conducting the festival without the physical presence of his mentor, Sudesh Sharma, made the experience feel like a personal test. Sudesh Sharma after decades of being a prominent presence in theatre scene of the Tricity has moved to Paryagraj as director of North Central Zone Cultural Centre (NCZCC). He shared that Sudesh Sharma’s words of guidance — “Now you have to take Theatre for Theatre forward” — became his compass throughout the planning process. With his dedicated TFT team, he decided to organise a 10-day festival, a decision that allowed space for both creative exploration and community engagement. “Everything I learned from Sudesh ji was implemented in this festival,” he said, adding that the true success would be judged by the audience.Harwinder also emphasised his inclination toward meticulous organisation, a quality visible not just in performance design but in the festival’s ambience. The outer courtyard of the Mini Hall transformed daily with changing themes, climaxing in the last three days with a beautifully crafted Punjabi village house set, which became a major attraction. The Ru-Ba-Ru sessions held on these sets offered an immersive, film-like experience.Amongst the plays, there was Can I Say Something from Haryana, Bichhu from Himachal and Father in Love from Punjab, The Mousetrap, Miss Miriam, Kanak Di Bali, Surajmukhi Aur Hamlet, Ek Ruka Hua Faisla and others were from Tricity groups.The penultimate day of the 20th Winter National Theatre Festival featured a moving and spiritually charged presentation of Hind Di Chadar, a theatrical production based on the inspiring life and martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur. The play, which highlighted the Guru’s unparalleled sacrifice for the protection of religious freedom and human dignity, resonated strongly with the audience. The play was a tribute to the Guru Tegh Bahadur’s 350th martyrdom anniversary.The festival’s finale presented TFT’s production Ek Aur Meeting, written by Jaivardhan and directed by Karan Chauhan. A sharp social satire, the play explored the culture of endless committees and meetings within the government system — where discussions often look meaningful yet achieve little. Through accessible language, humour and irony, the play provoked audiences to question the purpose and productivity of these perpetual “review meetings.”The 20th Winter National Theatre Festival concluded with a renewed sense of purpose. As Harwinder Singh prepares to bring a five-day Basant Theatre Festival in February coming year, TFT continues to grow as a testament to teamwork, dedication and the power of artistic vision.Talking about the future, Harwinder Singh shared his ambitious dream — a month-long international theatre festival at Tagore Theatre, featuring 30 plays, 30 street plays and 30 Ru-Ba-Ru sessions.

The 20th Winter National Theatre Festival showcased an impressive spread of performances and activities

Mona

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