Ludhiana: Theatre fest kicks off at Punjabi Bhawan
The festival opened with an interactive session featuring playwright Satish Kumar Verma, who had written 18 plays spanning nine different theatrical genres; in a conversation with veteran theatre artist, Lakha Lahiri, Verma reflected on his early influences and artistic journey
The legacy of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru commenced at Balraj Sahni Open Theatre at Punjabi Bhawan on Sunday. The festival organised by Punjabi Sahit Akademi, in collaboration with the Northern Regional Cultural Centre, Patiala under the ministry of culture, Government of India, Punjab Arts Council, language department of Punjab, and Uttam Sweets, Chandigarh, will run from March 23 to 27.
The festival opened with an interactive session featuring playwright Satish Kumar Verma, who had written 18 plays spanning nine different theatrical genres. In a conversation with veteran theatre artist, Lakha Lahiri, Verma reflected on his early influences and artistic journey. He shared that his passion for writing began with a neighborhood temple’s kirtan group and that his first original speech, written in Class 8 was about Guru Gobind Singh. “I learned to write from Guru Nanak and to speak from Guru Gobind Singh,” he remarked.
Punjabi Sahit Akademi’s general secretary Gulzar Singh Pandher welcomed the audience and provided an overview of the academy’s initiatives. He announced that the festival would feature performances of plays, including ‘Chhipan Toh Pehlan’ by Davinder Daman, ‘Dhan Lekhari Nanaka’ by Sahib Singh, ‘Bhasha Wahinda Dariya’ by Som Pal Heera, ‘Jis Lahore Nahin Vekhya’ by Keval Dhaliwal, and ‘Main Bhagat Singh’ by Pali Bhupinder. Following the performances, discussions will be held to analyse the plays’ themes and significance. In addition to the performances, interactive sessions with theatre artists, including Dolly Guleria, Pali Bhupinder, Gurdyal Nirmaan, and Jagjit Sareen, will provide deeper insights into Punjabi theatre and its impact.
