Marathi theatre fest to depict visual arts

Since the past three months, a theatre group, Awishkar Production, has been practising in a municipal school in Mahim for a play it claims will be the first in India to depict visual art through performing art.

Since the past three months, a theatre group, Awishkar Production, has been practising in a municipal school in Mahim for a play it claims will be the first in India to depict visual art through performing art.

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The play, titled Chitragoshhti, is based on the works of artist Sudhir Patwardhan, and will premiere on Friday at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) at Nariman Point, kicking off a five-day Marathi theatre festival called Pratibimb.

"While poetry and stories have been converted into plays, this is probably the first time that a painting will be depicted through performing art," said Arun Kakade, who heads Awishkar Productions.

The play is based on 11 paintings and four sketches made by Patwardhan, several of which depict the working class in Mumbai.

"The characters in his paintings live and breathe, which is what inspired us to bring out the theatre in his work," said Sushama Deshpande, who has scripted and directed the play.

Patwardhan conducted a workshop with the actors and contributed in set design.

Some of the other acts include Shivaji Underground in Bhimnagar Mohalla, directed by Nandu Madhav, which speaks about class discrimination, and Satyashodhak, which depicts the lives of social workers Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule.