BARPETA, April 24 - The 28th edition of Rangghar National Theatre festival will be held here with a four-day programme from April 29 to May 2.
This year the festival has been dedicated to late Prasannalal Choudhury. This was informed in a press release issued by Pranab Kumar Talukdar and Jimut Bahan Das, chief director and coordinator of the festival respectively.
As per schedule, Nandikar from Kolkata will stage Alifa on the first day of the festival. Katna Ityadi directed by Bhaskar Baruah will be staged by Jonak, an amateur group from Guwahati on the second day, that is, April 30. Dapon the Mirror from Tangla will perform Kino Kao on that day. Kino Kao directed by Pabitra Rabha is stated to be the main attraction of the mega event.
Sita Banabas, a puppet play, will be presented by Srimanta Sankardev Puppet Theatre group from Nalbari on May 1. Sita Bananas has been directed by Gobinda Talukdar. Wings Theatre, Guwahati will stage Helen, directed by Kismat Banu the same evening.
A Mumbai-based group Ek Prayash will stage Baap Ka Baap on the last day of the festival on May 2. Noted film personalities like Asrani and Padmini Kolhapuri will also act in the play.
The souvenir to be published on the occasion will be formally released by Thaneswar Malakar, Deputy Commissioner of Barpeta in the inaugural function on the first day, which will be attended by a host of dignitaries. Homage will be paid to Prasannalal Choudhury with his songs and poems in the evening.
It may be mentioned here that since its inception in 1979, Rangghar has been working hard to create an environment of dramatic culture not only in Barpeta but in Assam as a whole. Apart from staging plays, it has been conducting competitions like one-act play, mono-acting and other activities and has also conducted several workshops in this field.
Keeping its commitment towards the betterment of cultural field, it has been organising national level theatre festival for the last 29 years. Several known dramatic personalities like Kulabhushan Kharbanda, Avatar Gil, Mohan Aagse, Rakesh Bedi and Usha Ganguly have taken part in this national theatre festival.
The people of Barpeta in particular and the drama lovers of the State have been thronging the festival elevating the event to one of the most cherished cultural events of the State. The organisers expect a large turnout this year too and have requested the people of the State to cooperate during the event.
