Lalit Gupta
JAMMU, July 19: Organized by Jammu based Amateur Theatre Group (ATG) in collaboration with National School of Drama, New Delhi (NSD), a theatre workshop started at the K L Saigal Hall, here today.
The chief guest of the inaugural function was Shabir Mujahid, Director Doordarshan Kendra Jammu, while veteran theatre personality and playwright Padamshree Moti Lal Kemmu presided over and Ramesh Mehta, former Secretary, J&K Cultural Academy was the guest of honor.
The five week long workshop titled ‘Actor Prepares’, aimed at introducing the local young actors and theatre enthusiasts to the academic as well as technical aspects of theatre is being conducted by Ifra Kak, the daughter of the soil and first academically trained women theatre director of the State.
A post-graduate in performing arts (theatre) from Hyderabad Central University, Ifra Kak, who studied under the guidance of reputed and distinguished teachers like Dr B Anantha Krishnan, Prof Mohan Maharishi, Prof Ramgopal Bajaj, Noushad Mohammad Kunju, has earlier designed and directed two devised projects including ‘Self Stories’ which was a result of 15 days long workshop with ATG artistes and a similar workshop with inmates of Kot Bhalwal.
Other notable achievement by her has been the ‘Sordid Tales of Suffering’, a concept performance based upon the atrocities faced by Kashmiri women. Ifra Kak’s dramatization of Lydia Avilov’s autobiography Chekhov in My Life’ was honored with Mahindra Excellence in Theater Award and best of the year production by Sahitya Parishad, New Delhi.
Speaking on the occasion Mushtaq Kak, artistic director of ATG paid rich tributes Rajesh Khanna, the first super star of Bollywood and said that the workshop would provide a unique opportunity to all the participants to learn the finer nuances of acting, diction, design and stage craft.
Padamshree Moti Lal Kemmu, in his address said that first workshop in the State was held at Jammu in 1970. He said that such workshops have played a pivotal role in strengthening the theater movement in J&K.
Speaking on the occasion Shabir Mujahid said that other than fulfilling individual creative urge of self-expression an actor also serves his society in a fundamental way. Ramesh Mehta and young Ifra Kak also spoke on the occasion.
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