Lalit Gupta
JAMMU, July 19: Organized by Aditya Bhanu and Nav Durga Kala Mandir in collaboration with J&K Academy of Art Culture and Languages, Jammu Natya Utsav, the five-day short-play festival, concluded with performances of ‘Prem Chand Se Dosti’ by Natraj Naty Kunj’s and Raktdaan Mahadaan by Nirvana Academy, at the K L Saigal hall, here today.
Presenting total contrast between the two performances, Natraj Naty Kunj’s short-play emerged as a treat for the audience as the two actors, Aditya K Bharti and Akshay Razdan, in roles of two brothers caught up in the grind of studies, gave an engrossing performance. The fast pace of dialogues, brisk movements, use of mime, made the stage come alive with power of theatre as a tool of social comment as well as entertainment.
While Nirvana Academy’s play written and directed by Tarun Sharma, despite the noble theme urging people to recognize the importance of donating blood, came out to be no better effort than a school college level skit. Notwithstanding enthusiasm and sincerity of the cast of young boys and a girl, their lack of training in theater was galore in today’s performance.
Jammu Natya Festival in which seven drama groups participated did manage to bring forth battery of young theatre playwrights, actors and enthusiasts in the winter capital. But it is the lack of professional training courses at University level in the State which is thwarting proper grooming of local talent. If truth be told, J&K Cultural Academy cannot wash its hand by simply giving K L Saigal free to theatre groups in name of ‘collaboration’. But it is high time that Academy fulfills its constitutional mandate by holding regular theater workshops and repertories for amateur theatre enthusiasts, was the opinion of senior theatre personalities present on the occasion.
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