10-day theatre festival kicks off at Rangayana

Shilpa P. | NT

The second-biggest annual cultural extravaganza of Mysuru after Dasara - “Bahuroopi multilingual national theatre festival” began at Rangayana on Friday. The theme of this year’s 10-day festival is “Motherhood” and it began with “Janapadotsava” (folk festival) at Kindarijogi Janapadaranga at Rangayana premises.

As many as over 500 theatre artists of 33 teams from across the country, including 13 from other States, have landed in Mysuru to take part in the festival. According to Rangayana sources, 30 per cent of the tickets for plays are already sold out.

And over 500 folk artists from across the State are performing 21 folk art forms, and three teams each from Nagpur Central zone cultural centre, Tanjore south zone cultural centre will take part.

At the International film festival hosted as part of Bahuroopi, 24 movies of various countries and languages from across the world are being screened. Five movies from India, including sandalwood star Puneeth Rajkumar’s Rajakumara, will also be screened.

The fest is also packed with events including national symposium on theme of fest “Motherhood”, recitation of poetry on mother, debate on nature and development, theatre songs by Disha and team, and others.

There will be an exhibition of books and handicrafts, demonstration of indigenous arts and crafts, feast of indigenous foods at food fest will add flavour to the event. Some folk artistes will also be performing near small clock tower and Dasara exhibition authority premises.

Janapada academy president ,Padmasri Maatha Manjamma Jogathi inaugurated Janapadotsava on Friday. And on Saturday evening, Mother of lakh trees, Padmasri Tulasi Gowda of Honnaali village of Uttara Kannada district will launch the theatre festival at Vanaranga at Rangayana.