Mysuru: The five-day ‘Rashtriya Ranga Utsava’ organised jointly by South Zone Cultural Centre (SZCC) and Abhiyenthararu – A Theatre for Engineers, will be held from Feb. 21 to Feb. 25 at Kalamandira in city.

Kendra Sahitya Academy Chairman and Jnanpith awardee Dr. Chandrashekhara Kambara will inaugurate the fest tomorrow at  6 pm. Director of Kannada and Culture K.M. Janaki, Director of National School of Drama, Bengaluru, C. Basavalingaiah and Member of SZCC – Tanjavur T. Nanjundaswamy will be the guests of honour. The fest will showcase five dramas — two Kannada, one each of Hindi, Marathi and Malayalam — at 7 pm in Kalamandira daily.  

The event will also see folk art performances by artistes like Radha Bai (Chowdika Mela) of Athani, Shakunthala Bai (Geegi Pada) of Kalaburagi and Ramachandra Hadapad (Sharifarige Sharanu) near Kindarajogi statue in Kalamandira premises at 5.30 pm. The drama entry fee per head is Rs. 50, Rs. 100 and season tickets of Rs.200 and Rs. 400.       

Feb. 21, 7 pm: Abhiyenthararu, Mysuru, will stage Kambara’s Kannada play Mahamood Gaawaan directed by Prasanna Ramaswamy. This play focusses on historical monuments and throws light on 15th century’s political administration, maladministration and religious conflicts in Bahamani Kingdom.  Music: Ramachandra Hadapad.

Feb. 22, 7 pm: Rahi Theatre, Mumbai, will perform Hindi play Dohri Zindagi  directed by Gurleen Judge. Prior to this, Radha Bai will perform Chowdike Mela at 5. 30 pm.

About the play:  When two miserly traders, living in two villages separated by a distance of 24 kms form a marriage pact between their unborn children, all seems well… that is until they both have daughters. Greed for dowry tempts one of the traders into declaring his daughter a boy. However, on the night of the wedding his deception is revealed and this revelation will shake the foundations of morality, sexuality and society.

Feb. 23, 7 pm: Natak Company, Pune, will stage the Marathi play Mahanirvan written and directed by Satish Alekar. At 5.30 pm, Gulbarga’s Shakunthala Bai will sing Geegi Pada.

Mahanirvan has been considered as one of the most distinguished plays, a reputed milestone in the history of Indian Theatre. Right from the 1st show of the play in 1974, till today with about 400 shows, it is considered to be one of the finest pieces of artistic craftsmanship. The entire play is in a lyrical/ musical form using Maharashtrian folklore like Kirtan, Gondhal, Bhajan, Abhang etc.

Feb. 24, 7 pm: Artistes of Kanal Samskarika Vedhi will present Malayalam play Veendum Bhagavante Maranam directed by Hazim Amaravilla. Prior to this, Theatre Music Director Ramachandra Hadapad will render Sharifarige Sharanu.  

Veendum Bhagavante Maranam, a dramatic adaptation of K.R. Meera’s short story, depicts the problems that arise when a Theatre Group attempts to dramatise this story which was written as a reaction to the assassination of the renowned writer M.M. Kalburgi. Director and script writer Hazim Amarvilla has taken portions of Meera’s story to highlight the violence committed upon people who speak against the ills prevailing in society.

Feb. 25, 7 pm: Samudaya, Bengaluru, will stage Girish Karnad’s Kannada play Tughalaq  directed by Samkutty Pattomkari.

This play throws light on the religious interference in politics, causes and decline of Tughalaq dynasty. Though it looks like historical drama, it also reflects on present political machinations.