By S.N. Venkatnag Sobers

Following the ideology of 12th Century reformer and visionary, Mysuru’s theatre repertory Rangayana will be hosting its 20th edition of Bahuroopi National Theatre Festival based on the topic ‘Iva Nammava Iva Nammava’ from March 6 to 11. The Theatre Festival has been treating theatre buffs from all over the country since 2001 when it began as ‘AKKA’ Festival when noted theatre director Prasanna held the reins of Rangayana. Later, it was renamed as ‘BAHUROOPI.’

Though the Festival was not organised in 2002, Bahuroopi was successfully held every year since 2003 before it was given a break for two years in 2020 and 2021 owing the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the National Theatre Festival returned with its past glory during March, 2022 with the theme ‘Taayi’ (Mother) followed by another edition in the month of December, 2022 under the theme ‘Bharateeyate’ (Indianness) with an aim to strengthen nationalism and create awareness to the new generation about the history, culture and patriotic fervour of India.

Previously, Rangayana has organised various editions of the National Theatre Festival with different themes focusing on Women Issues, Agriculture, Folk Culture, Tribal Culture, Desi Culture, Rabindranath Tagore, Jnanpith Awardees from Karnataka, Shakespeare, Sufi Culture, Water, Abhiyakthi among others. The Festival has also witnessed theatre groups from Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh and Poland performing on the main stage when it was organised as a Multi-lingual International Theatre Festival during 2018.

This year, the Bahuroopi Theatre Festival is being organised with theme ‘Iva Nammava Iva Nammava’ with vision to promote the idea of egalitarian society. The Theatre Fest will be inaugurated by renowned lyricist Jayanth Kaikini at Vanaranga on Mar. 7 at 4.30 pm. District in-Charge Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa will inaugurate the Books and Handicrafts Exhibition. Minister for Kannada and Culture Shivaraj S. Tangadagi will release the souvenir. Painting Exhibition will be inaugurated by MP Prathap Simha. Department of Kannada and Culture Secretary Dr. N. Manjula will unveil ‘Vachanantaranga,’ a special painting exhibits of artiste Shivalingappa based on the Basavanna’s vachanas. The display of historical documents will be inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner Dr. K.V. Rajendra. Department of Kannada and Culture Commissioner Dr. K. Dharanidevi Malagatti will be the chief guest. Chamaraja MLA K. Harishgowda will preside over the event. Department of Kannada and Culture Joint Director V.N. Mallikarjunaswamy, Rangayana Deputy Director Nirmala Mathapati and Bahuroopi-2024 Co-ordinator Prof. H.S. Umesh will be present.

Renowned folk artiste Dr. Malavalli Mahadevaswamy will inaugurate Janapada Sambhrama on Mar. 6 at Kindarijogi premises at 5.30 pm. Folklorist Dr. Jayalakshmi Seethapura will be the chief guest.

Bahuroopi Film Festival will be inaugurated by International Wildlife Photographer Dr. Lokesh Mosale at Sriranga auditorium on Mar. 7 at 10.30 am followed by a keynote address by Film Festival Convenor K. Manu.

Two-day National Symposium on ‘Vachana Sahitya and Theatre’ is also organised on Mar. 9 and 10 at B.V. Karantha Ranga Chavadi. The Symposium will be inaugurated by poet and thinker H.S. Shivaprakash on Mar. 9 at  10 am. Writer O.L. Nagabhushana Swamy will chair. Senior Poet Prof. S.G. Siddaramaiah will deliver the valedictory address on Mar. 10 at 4 pm.

The two-day event will feature deliberations on topics such as ‘Contemporary Interpretation of Vachana Movement’, ‘Vachana Movement and Gender Equality’, Vachana Movement and Kannada Theatre’, ‘Philosophy, Technology and its Cultural Impact’, ‘Theatre and Technology’ and ‘Contemporary Theatre towards Community.’

This year’s National Theatre Festival features a total of 17 plays including 10 Kannada and one Tulu play and six of other languages like Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, Manipuri, Bengali from other States namely Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Manipur. Rangayana received a total of 119 applications out of which the screening committee selected 17 plays.

Bahuroopi National Theatre Festival has been an event not only for theatre buffs to enjoy some of the best selected plays but also to others to get introduced to our rich theatre culture which has travelled across many decades spreading the essence of various traditions followed across the world. Apart from plays, visitors will also get to taste some delicacies, purchase books from various publications and to buy traditional and local attires belonging to various places.

Kindarijogi       5.30 PM

March 6 (Wednesday)

Jogati Nruthya  :               Jeevana Belaku Kala Tanda, Rona, Gadag

Geegee Pada     :               Jaibheem Gegee Kala Tanda, Neelagunda, Gadag

March 7 (Thursday)

Dhangari Gaja    :               Syappa Bandgar & Troupe, Maharashtra

Gudum Baja       :               Mayaram Dhurwey & Troupe, Madhya Pradesh

Chande Vadana                :               Guru and Troupe, Mysuru

Kamsale               :               Nagaraju & Troupe, Mangala village, Chamarajanagar

Nadaswara         :               Radhamma and Troupe, Vagarahalli, Channarayapatna

Gaarudi Gombe                :               Jayaram & Troupe, Boranakoppalu, Arasikere

March 8 (Friday)

Veeragase          :               Basavajyothi Mahila Veeragaase Kala Tanda, Chikkamagaluru

Mahila Puja Kunita          :               Keerthana, Kyataghatta Post, Maddur

March 9 (Saturday)

Dollu Kunita       :               K.M. Annappa & Troupe, Hadagalu, Kadur

Pata Kunita         :               Ravi and Troupe, Kadalagere village,                 Pandavapura

March 10 (Sunday)

Koragara Dolu   :               Babu Koraga and Troupe, Pambur, Udupi

Goravara Kunita               :               Rajashekhara and Troupe, Ramasamudra, Chamarajanagar

March 11 (Monday)

Karaga Kolata    :               Punith and Troupe, Udyavara, Udupi

Kangilu :               Sugipu Janapada Kala Tanda, Bangle Gudde, Sullia

VANARANGA  7 PM

March 6 (Wednesday)

Special Programme        :               Vachana Gayana by Ramachandra Hadapada and Troupe, Mysuru

B.V. Karantha Ranga cahavadi       4 PM to 5 pm

March 8 (FRIDAY)

Vachana Concert              :               Veerabhadraiah and Troupe, Mysuru

March 11 (Monday)

Elekoralu Ulidave Kela  :               Students of Bharatiya Rangashikshana Kendra, Rangayana, Mysuru

Plays at National Theatre Festival

KIRURANGAMANDIRA   6 pm

March 7 (Thursday)

Lokada Olahorage (Kannada)

Troupe : Rangasampada, Bengaluru

Original                : Rabindranath Tagore

Design, Adaptation and Direction : B. Suresh

March 8 (Friday)

Dropati Heltavle (Kannada)

Troupe : Rangasthe, Bengaluru

Original : Kumaravyasa Bharata  & Janapada Mahabharata

Direction : Ganesh Mandarthi

March 9 (Saturday)

Glani (Kannada)

Troupe : Udaya Kalavidaru, Sagara

Playwright : G.S. Bhat

Direction : Chidambara Rao Jambe

March 10 (Sunday)

Black Out (Kannada)

Troupe : Rangasiri Production, Bengaluru

Playwright : G.V. Shivananda

Direction : S. Sandeep Pai

March 11 (Monday)

Paarshwa Sangeetha (Kannada)

Troupe : Rangavalli, Mysuru

Original                : Srinivasa Vaidya

Adaptation : B.P. Arun Music, Concept and Direction : Prashant Hiremath

Bhoomigeeta 6.30 pm

March 7 (Thursday)

Muttisikondavanu (Kannada)

Troupe : Rangayana Repertory, Mysuru

Story : P. Lankesh

Adaptation and Direction : K.R. Nandini

March 8 (Friday)

Dukhwa Mein Beetal Ratiya (Hindi)

Troupe : Kamla Shankar Dhanwanti Devi Foundation, UP

Story : Rameshwar Upadyay

Adaptation : Lalit Simha Pokhariya

Direction : Prasoon Narain Srivastava

March 9 (Saturday)

Jump (Multilingual)    

Troupe : Collective Madness Studios, Mumbai

Playwright and Direction : Maneesh Sharma

March 10 (Sunday)

Kittankhola (Bengali)

Troupe : Thakurpukur Ichheymoto, Kolkata.

Playwright : Selim Al Deen

Direction : Saurav Palodhi

March 11 (Monday)

Aboriginal Cry (Non Verbal)

Troupe : Akhoka Theater, Imphal, Manipur.

Concept, Design and Direction : Thoudam Victor Singh

VANARANGA 7 pm

March 8 (Friday)

Seetheya Vyathe (Kannada)

Yakshagana Prasanga

Troupe : Theatre Yaksha, Udupi.

Direction : Pruthviraj Kavattaru

March 9 (Saturday)

Khatara (Marathi)

Troupe      :   Aapla Ghar, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra

Playwright and Direction : Amol Devidas Salve

March 10 (Sunday)

Kariya Devara Huduki (Kannada) 

Troupe : Samudaya, Bengaluru

Original : Prof. G. Shankar Pillai

Translation : Na. Damodara Shetty

Direction : Niranjana Khalikoda

March 11 (Monday)

Beralge Koral (Kannada) 

Troupe : Nalwadi Social, Cultural & Educational Trust, Mysuru

Playwright    :        Kuvempu

Direction  :   Dinesh Chammalige

KALAMANDIRA 7.30 pm     

March 7 (Thursday)

Shishunala Shareefa (Kannada)

Troupe : Padma Shri Chindodi Leela’s  K.B.R. Drama Company, Davanagere

Direction : Chindodi L. Chandradhara

March 8 (Friday)

Kalyanada Bagilu (Kannada)

Troupe : Sri Shivakumara Kala Sangha, Sanehalli

Playwright : Dr. S. Nataraja Budalu

Direction : C. Basavalingaiah

March 9 (Saturday)

Chavundaraya (Kannada)

Troupe : Sri Gajanana Yuvaka Mandali, Sheshagiri

Playwright : Jayaram Rayapura

Direction  :   H.K. Shwetharani

March 10 (Sunday)

Chillara Samaram (Malayalam)

Troupe : Little Earth School of Theatre, Kerala

Playwright : M.P. Rajesh

Direction : Arun Lal

March 11 (Monday)

Kathe Eddendu (Tulu)

Troupe : Sharada Arts Kalavidaru, Manjeshwara, Kasaragod

Playwright and Direction : J.P. Tuminadu