Mysuru: A drama that one pens will gain importance or significance only when it is staged on an important stage, opined dramatist and retired BEML officer S.G. Shivashankar.

He was speaking after being felicitated at Rangayana’s Vanaranga where the play ‘Nenapu Hasiru’ was staged here on Monday. Rangasangama and Kannada & Culture Department had jointly organised the programme.

Any play once it is written, it gets recognition only when it is staged in public. This play of mine, which is being staged now, is giving me immense happiness, said Shivashankar.

“The credit for the honour bestowed on me today is because of my theatre background. However, I had to stop writing the plays as the number of people coming to the theatre went down due to the impact of television serials. Hence, I started concentration on writing novels and stories,” he said and called for making efforts to see that the theatre audience return. “When I was in KGF I wrote several plays and introduced stage artistes. Once a person dons the grease paint, then it is very difficult for him to give it up. Now, all those artistes are acting in many plays and TV shows, he said.

Along with Shivashankar, BEML’s Nagaraju was also felicitated. Earlier, Kannada and Culture Joint Director V.N. Mallikarjunaswamy sounded the Tamate to inaugurate the programme. Critic Dhananjaya and Rangasangama President Mohanraj were present. Nagaratna compered.