Koraput: Once again theatre related activities did a comeback with Nandanik, a theatre group from the Koraput region of Odisha, staging a play at Rabindra Sanskrutik Parishad campus in Koraput town February 7.
Nandanik became the first theatre group in South Odisha to stage a play after withdrawal of restrictions that had been in force since the outbreak of the pandemic.
Nandanik staged ‘Asantu Banchiba’, a play based on COVID-19. The play entertained as well as educated the audience at once.
The play artistically depicts how coronavirus enters into our bodies and how it affects our bodies. And it also teaches how we can keep the invisible enemy at bay. Young artistes from Koraput region performed in the play.
Why COVID-19 theme?
“It was when the pandemic was at its peak, we were contemplating on staging a play on it, but not virtually but physically. As a responsible cultural organisation, we felt we should make people, particularly those living in remotest parts of the district, aware about the disease. We intend to stage this play further in various villages of Koraput district so that the tribal people are continuously made aware of the threat of COVID-19 and they should be able to fight with it. That is why the play has been designed in a minimalist way so that it may be staged anywhere without much preparation & expenses,” said secretary, Nandanik, Monideepa Gupta, who also designed the play.
“The theatre and performing arts sector is worst hit during the pandemic time and this performance is also a way to revive the spirits of theatre, especially, in remote places like Koraput, basically it is the aim of Nandanik,” explained Dr Sourav Gupta, the playwright of the play.
All the artistes tried their best to do justice to their characters. In fact, acting is the life of the play which left the audience hooked to their seats till the last scene.
After the customary lighting the lamp ceremony, one minute silence was observed in memory of departed souls like Bijay Mohanty, Ajit Das and Bansi Kaul, who recently passed away.
Among the guests who graced the event were Narayan Panda, litereteur, Dr Jayanta Swain, an academic and Gupteswar Panigrahy, senior theatre artiste of Jeypore.
The play was staged with following all the COVID-19 guidelines recommended by the government. The audience were provided with hand sanitizer at the entrance.
Established in 2014 by Dr Sourav Gupta, a faculty at the Central University of Odisha and Monideepa Gupta, Nandanik organizes regular theatre activities including staging plays, seminars, workshops, lectures, publishing and has established Koraput in the theatre map of India.
By kalasanskruti
Photo courtesy: Nandanik
