EC chooses theatres for election training, Marathi plays pay the price

Theatre producers estimate that over 20 shows will be affected, leading to losses of around ₹40 lakh to ₹50 lakh

MUMBAI: Several theatres across Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Navi Mumbai and Pune will remain closed over the next few days for municipal election preparations and staff training, triggering the cancellation of a large number of Marathi plays scheduled for the year-end season. Theatre producers estimate that over 20 shows will be affected, leading to losses of around ₹40 lakh to ₹50 lakh.

Prabodhankar Thackeray Natya Mandir at Borivali. HT Photo by Girish Srivastav 04-03-2006

Preparations for the BMC elections, scheduled to be held on January 15, have intensified. As part of this process, election training programmes will be conducted in major civic theatres, including Prabodhankar Thackeray Natya Mandir at Borivali, Dinanath Mangesh Natyagruha at Parle East and Kalidas Natya Mandir at Mulund, which are widely used for experimental and mainstream Marathi productions.

According to the schedule, the training sessions will be held from December 29 to 31 and on January 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8, between 10 am and 5 pm, in multiple slots throughout the day. As a result, rehearsals and preparations planned for these days have been cancelled. Similar arrangements are being made in theatres located in Thane, Navi Mumbai and Pune.

Aggrieved producers pointed out to HT that theatre rehearsals and performances were planned one to two months in advance. During this period, publicity and ticket sales are already underway, and in several cases, shows that were expected to run to full houses have now been called off. “While producers know that the theatre management has the right to withdraw dates, it is important to consider whether there are alternatives. Cancelling rehearsals during peak theatre season is unfair to the audience, artistes and producers,” said a senior theatre artiste, requesting anonymity.

Raising similar concerns, Prashant Damle, actor and president of the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Natya Parishad, said that while the Election Commission’s need for training space was understandable, the decision to use theatres was questionable. “Why choose theatres when alternative spaces are available?” he said. “Because of this, many theatre producers will suffer losses. Actors will lose their per-day earnings, and technical staff will also be affected. We will also have to refund money to audiences who made advance bookings.”

Damle added that play bookings usually begin 15 to 20 days in advance, making last-minute cancellations particularly painful. “This is a loss for everyone, from fans to artistes,” he said.

Responding to the criticism, a senior Election Commission official said that the administration had limited options. “We need to accommodate more than 500 people, and theatres are the best option available to us,” he said. “And this is not the first time theatres are being used for election training; it happens during every election.”