GUWAHATI, March 11 � The enduring presence of mobile theatre in Assam�s social life has finally entered the pages of literature, with the All Assam Mobile Theatre Producers� Association (AAMTPA) capturing the history of the Rs 100-crore (per annum) industry in a volume titled Asomor Bhramyoman Theatreor Itihas almost after five decades of its recorded existence in the State.
This is arguably the first book published on the history of mobile theatre in Assam.
The first volume of the book published under the banner of AAMTPA and released on Thursday at the Guwahati Press Club, was penned by Kishore Kalita, who could not attend the book release function owing to illness.
Releasing the book, Santanu Thakur, Secretary, State Cultural Affairs Department, hoped that the book would go a long way in helping the present and generation next to dwell on the golden era of mobile theatre in Assam.
�In Assam, due to absence of any reliable record, many highlights of our culture remained undiscovered. Hope this book helps those interested in getting a valuable insight to the birth and rise of mobile theatre, which is embedded with our culture and tradition,� Thakur pointed out.
President of AAMTPA, Ratan Lahkar, while addressing the gathering, said that the association would soon come up with the second volume of the book.
�At present, more than 5,000 families are dependant on the mobile theatre industry and we should all strive to further strengthen it,� he urged.
Theatre activist Ratna Ojha also spoke on the occasion.
