Mysore/Mysuru: The third-day of Bahuroopi National Theatre Festival-2024 drew theatre lovers in droves to Rangayana, the State’s first theatre repertory, serving as the perfect weekend getaway.

A variety of plays based on different genres were staged in different venues within the precincts of the repertory—  Vanaranga, Bhoomigeetha,  Kalamandira and Kiru Ranga Mandira (Mini Theatre), with most of them jam-packed with audience.

Glani (Koragu: Agony in English) based on epic Ramayana in which Sri Ramachandra suffers from worries was poignantly staged at Kiru Ranga Mandira by the artistes of Udaya Kalavidaru from Sagara. G.S. Bhat is the playwright and former Director of Rangayana Chidambara Rao S. Jambe has directed the play.

Jump, a bilingual play staged in Hindi and English by the artistes of Collective Madness Studios, Mumbai, under the direction of Maneesh Sharma, at Bhoomigeetha was a laugh riot. The plot revolves around a young woman who though has a successful career, makes a suicide bid by jumping off a high rise building, only to be rescued by a taxi driver. The conversation with the taxi driver brings to fore the sensitive matters of her personal life which is a mix of mental depression, loneliness, joy and love she experienced in her life which was narrated with a touch of comedy.

Khatara, a Marathi play depicted the state of helplessness of a farmer to arrange money for his elder daughter’s marriage by selling off his bullock cart (called Khatara in Marathi). Amol Devidas Salve has directed the play which was staged by the artistes of Aapla Ghar, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra at Vanaranga, the open air theatre.

Kannada play Chavundaraya directed by H.K. Shwetharani and performed by artistes of Sri Gajanana Yuvaka Mandali, Sheshagiri at Kalamandira, retold the contributions of Chavundaraya, who was the Military Commander of Gangas. The compelling reasons that led to the construction of  monolithic statue of Bahubali at Shravanabelagola was also narrated effectively.

The exhibition cum sale of various products like books, artefacts and eatables, also witnessed a roaring business, with the stall owners who saw a slump on the first two days  of opening of the theatre festival on Mar.7, heaving a sigh of relief.