A comedy one evening, a tragedy the next, followed by a solo performance or a technically elaborate production — this year’s Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival is bringing together different forms of storytelling under one roof. The 21st edition of the festival, curated by theatre practitioner Mohammad Ali Baig, will run from November 12 to 18. Featuring performers such as Rakesh Bedi, Raghubir Yadav, Shrivardhan Trivedi and Kotla Hanumantha Rao, the festival’s programme spans theatre, cinema and workshops.‘Audiences would prefer a bouquet of a variety of plays’Having experimented with editions centred on love stories, biographies, mythology and historical subjects, the festival is moving away from a single-theme approach this year. Curator Mohammad Ali Baig says the intention is to offer audiences a mix of genres and performance styles. “Audiences would prefer a bouquet of a variety of plays — a comedy, a tragedy, a love story on one day, a solo performance the other day, a technically heavy performance some other night, a musical some other night,” he says.
A Still from Goutam Ghose’s Yatra
‘Some youngsters say they will never miss a play’One of the festival’s contributions, Baig says, has been introducing new audiences to theatre in Hyderabad. Recalling the uncertainty surrounding the response to theatre festival when it first began, he says the event has gradually drawn both regular theatre-goers and first-time audiences. “Some youngsters come and say that this was their first festival, their first exposure to theatre. They say that, from now on, they will never miss a play,” he says.
Raghubir Yadav in Piano
‘We need to give audiences something they can value’With audiences having several entertainment options, Baig believes theatre must offer more than just a performance. The experience, he says, should be engaging while also leaving audiences with something to reflect on. “We need to respect the audience’s time and give them something they can value, something that stimulates them intellectually as well as entertains them,” he says.
Rakesh Bedi will be featuring in Massage
Festival schedule(Date — Programme — About)Theatre productions:November 12 — Massage — Featuring actor Rakesh BediNovember 13 — Piano— Adapted and directed by Raghubir Yadav, featuring him and Roshini AchrejaNovember 14 — Shakuni: The Question RemainsNovember 15 — Eruka — Featuring Kotla Hanumantha RaoNovember 18 — Window Tak Ashiqui– Written by and featuring Manurishi ChadhaFilm screenings:November 15 — Chand Tara— Featuring Mohammad Ali BaigNovemeber 16 — Jait Re Jait — Directed by Jabbar PatelNovember 17 — Yatra — Directed by Goutam Ghose
A still from Chand Tara
Beyond the stage(Date — Programme — About)Masterclasses:November 14 —Raghubir Yadav — Performance across stage and screenNovember 15 — Jabbar Patel — Transition from theatre to cinemaWorkshops:November 14 — Children’s theatre — Ranjana SrivastavaNovember 15 —Lighting design — Daulat Vaid, Raghav Prakash Mishra and Divyang Shrivastava
Source link
