Marathi theatre festival begins this week

A five-day Marathi theatre festival Pratibimb showcasing both old classics and modern plays begins with Sai Paranjpe’s classic Jaswandi (Hibiscus) at the National Centre for the Performing Arts on Friday.

A five-day Marathi theatre festival Pratibimb showcasing both old classics and modern plays begins with Sai Paranjpe’s classic Jaswandi (Hibiscus) at the National Centre for the Performing Arts on Friday.

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The festival, which the Centre has organised for the second consecutive year, includes discussions after the plays and an exhibition of rare photographs from the history of Marathi theatre.

The Centre added it would commission new plays for the 2012 edition of Pratibimb, which will travel across the state.
“The plays this year represent the best of Marathi theatre over the years as well as the adventurous spirit of today’s young groups,” said Deepa Gahlot, NCPA’s head of programming for theatre and film. “We wanted the festival to represent the trend of revivals on the Marathi stage as well as showcase new plays.”

Following the announcement of the festival, writer and director Sai Paranjpe and actor and filmmaker Amol Palekar participated in a discussion on the trend of the revival of old classics.

She said she was fed up answering why she revived her play Sakkhe Shejari (Good Neighbours) and Jaswandi, so she wrote a new play, which will be staged this year.

The festival, attempting to span different periods as well as genres, has Moruchi Maushi, a classic comedy first adapted by Acharya Atre in 1948, and love birds, written by Girish Joshi.