Akshara Theatre gets fresh lease of life as funds pour in

The city’s iconic Akshara Theatre, escaped ‘going dark’ after raising money to pay off the pending electricity dues through a crowd-funding campaign and by approaching both the Centre and state governments for necessary action.

The 44-year-old theatre received donations from artists and students after it went public about the news that its electricity would be cut off on account of non-payment of hefty dues.

Prominent among the contributors is stand up comedian Papa CJ, who donated a sum of Rs 3 lakh to enable the theatre to pay off its bills.

“Papa CJ donated 3 lakh rupees. Another Puneet Mudgil, a businessman and friend of Papa CJ has donated for the theatre. Others include artists from Delhi like Andrew Hofflin and many youngsters have come forward to help us in whichever way possible to save the theatre,” Jalbaba Vaidya, a founder member of the Akshara Theatre said.

Despite such support, theatre authorities say they are still lacking funds for even the basic operation of the theatre, which includes payment to artists, teachers and maintenance.

“We still do not have adequate funds for the sustenance of the theatre. We need a lot of funds to pay the actors and teachers, and for the maintenance of the theatre,” says Vaidya.