Saifabad: World Theatre Day festivities conclude

Saifabad: The three-day International Theatre Day celebrations conducted by the State Sangeet Nataka Academy concluded here on March 27 at Ravindra Bharathi.

As many 160 senior theatre personalities from across Telangana were honoured during the day by Minister V Srinivas Goud and State adviser Dr K V Ramana Chary.

Dr Vijaybhaskar, Central AKademy awardee, was present along with eminent director B N Reddy, Telangana Nataka Academy president Tadakamalli Ramchandra Rao and secrtary Vasundhara. State academy chairman Shivakumar presided.

Addressing the gathering, the minister explained the unique features of theatre field which displays life's specialities within a span of one or two hours, besides years of history. This, he said, has a lasting impression on people.

Goud congratulated theatre artists for their achievements. He promised to take the issue of raising the pension to these artists to the notice of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. He agreed to provide details of theatre personalities on the State Academy website and assured to arrange ID cards to the artists.

The minister called for efforts to create interest in children on theatre and arts. For this the government would provide incentives. This, he said, would lead to theatre field getting a boost and development of total personality of children.

Dr Ramana Chary suggested presentation of the Nandi awards to theatre artists on the lines of those given to cine artistes. This was necessary to encourage theatre field, he stated. Responding to the felicitation, several theatre personalities said it generated hopes in them.

They pointed out that the absence of theatre during the Covid pandemic had affected them. T hey thanked the government for providing some of them an opportunity to see Ravindra Bharathi for the first time, according to a press release issued by the Information and PR department.