Balurghat: 24th Theatre Festival flagged off
BALURGHAT: Often referred to as the city of theatre lovers, Balurghat witnessed the grand inauguration of the 24th Theatre Festival on Tuesday evening at Rabindra Bhavan. The festival was inaugurated by Biplab Mitra, minister of the department of Consumer Affairs, Government of West Bengal.
In his address, Mitra remarked: “Balurghat is a city of theatre lovers. This year, the theatre festival has come to this culturally rich city. Theatre carries messages for society and this festival aims to deliver those messages. I hope the people of Balurghat will enjoy the variety of plays showcased over the next five days and find intellectual nourishment through them. I wish the festival all-around success.”
The event, jointly organised by the West Bengal Natya Academy and the District Information and Cultural Affairs department, will run until December 21. Theatre groups from Raghunathganj, Berhampore, Uttar Dinajpur, Buniadpur and Dumdum will perform during the festival.
The inaugural evening saw the staging of “Brishti Elo” by Raghunathganj Theatre Group.
On December 18, Berhampore Rangabhumi’s “Apharan” and Debinagar Jagori Theatre Group’s “Ekhono Manush”, on December 19, Raghunathganj Natya Niketan’s “Kurma Drishti” and Prantik’s “Biroher Ontorale”, on December 20, Uttar Dinajpur’s Anyajan Theatre Group’s “Na” and Buniadpur Arani Theatre Group’s “Muqaddar Ka Sikandar” will be staged respectively.
On the final day December 21, Dumdum Shabdamugdho will present “Maya Mridanga”.
Surajit Ghosh, a member of the West Bengal Natya Academy, expressed his delight over the overwhelming public response to the festival. “Even in this era of mobile phones and digital technology, thousands of people have come together to celebrate the joy of theatre. This is a testament to Balurghat’s identity as a city of theatre lovers. The participation of such a large audience once again proves the enduring passion for theatre here. We commend the state government for its role in making this event possible,” he said.
