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Closed auditoriums cast a shadow over Lucknow’s theatre scene
With major auditoriums lying shut due to renovation work and power-related issues, theatre artistes say the city’s stage culture is facing a crisis. They also allege that at Rai Umanath Bali Auditorium, which reopened a few months ago after renovation, the makeover has done more harm than good.
For a city that prides itself on being the cultural capital of north India, Lucknow today has few functioning stages to showcase its rich theatre tradition. With its major auditoriums lying shut due to renovation work and power-related issues, theatre artistes say the city’s stage culture is facing a crisis. They also allege that at Rai Umanath Bali Auditorium, which reopened a few months ago after renovation, the makeover has done more harm than good.
At the Bhartendu Natya Academy (BNA), both newly renovated auditoriums — BM Shah Auditorium and Raj Bisaria Thrust — remain shut despite being inaugurated in April earlier this year. BNA chairperson Rati Shankar Tripathi said the electrical load of the complex has increased significantly after the renovation, but the existing high-tension power connection is inadequate.
“The academy is in talks with the electricity department to upgrade the power load. Until then, we are conducting internal programmes using a hired 500-kW generator, which costs about ₹40,000 for a three-hour show, including fuel and logistics. If we rent out the auditorium at the existing rates, we cannot guarantee uninterrupted power supply. That could lead to litigation, so external bookings have been suspended,” Tripathi said.
He added that the light and sound systems installed by the executing agency were inadequate, forcing the academy to hire equipment even for its own productions.
Artistes said that the prolonged closure has severely affected theatre activity in the city,
Veteran theatre personality Suryamohan Kulshreshtha claimed the number of plays staged in Lucknow has fallen by more than 50%. He cited the example of transgender Kathak dancer Devika, who had to stage her production at Sheroes Hangout Café before an audience of barely 25-30 people because no suitable auditorium with a proper stage, green room and basic light and sound facilities was available.
Veteran theatre artiste Sangam Bahuguna alleged administrative apathy despite around ₹22 crore being spent on renovating BNA. He pointed to narrow side wings, reduced seating capacity and alleged irregularities in procurement.
“Equipment worth around ₹2 lakh has been purchased for nearly ₹20 lakh,” Bahuguna alleged, adding that the entire project requires a thorough internal audit.
Anil Rastogi, another theatre veteran, said the newly installed ACs cannot be operated because of inadequate power load, while even the elevator remained non-functional during a recent event.
“The auditoriums are locked only because of the power supply issue. Recently, when I attended a programme as a guest, I had to climb the stairs because the available power load did not permit the use of the elevator,” Rastogi said.
The crisis extends beyond BNA. Theatre artistes alleged that despite more than ₹5 crore being spent over five years on renovating Rai Umanath Bali Auditorium, the redesigned flat seating obstructs the audience’s view of the stage, the light and sound systems are of inferior quality, the green room remains poorly ventilated, and the hall rent has increased fivefold to ₹15,000 plus GST.
They further alleged that Valmiki Rangshala was demolished unnecessarily and is now being fitted with a marquee-style false ceiling, while Sant Gadgeji Maharaj Auditorium has remained closed for months to repair air-conditioning systems that failed within two years of the facility being handed over in 2023.
With alternatives such as Kala Mandapam charging between ₹70,000 and ₹87,000 per show, theatre groups surviving on government grants of barely ₹30,000 said they are struggling to stay afloat.
Prof Jayant Khot, chairperson of the UP Sangeet Natak Akademi, said the executing agency had delayed handing over Valmiki Rangshala, while repair work at Sant Gadgeji Maharaj Auditorium had only recently begun. Both facilities, he said, would be opened to the public once they were handed over to the academy.
