CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: The four-day ‘Tagore Theatre Festival’, organised jointly by Tagore National School of Drama and Vishwa Rang Foundation, began on Sunday. The first day’s programme, held at the open-air venue of Rabindranath Tagore University, featured a musical presentation of Tagore’s songs, a theatrical performance based on his stories, and a discussion on ‘Tagore’s Cultural Consciousness’. Those present included RNTU Chancellor and senior litterateur Santosh Choubey, Vice Chancellor Dr R.P. Dubey, Registrar Dr Sangeeta Jauhari, Tagore National School of Drama Director Vinay Upadhyay, Santosh Kaushik and Vikas Awasthi, along with people associated with literature, theatre and the arts.
On the first day of the festival, newly admitted students of Tagore National School of Drama presented ‘Gitanjali’. The students presented Tagore’s songs effectively through music. This was followed by a theatrical presentation, ‘Ek Raat/Antim Raat’, staged by the school’s second-year students and based on two stories by Tagore.
‘Ek Raat’ tells the story of a young man who fails to understand in time the love of his childhood companion Surabala. Driven by his ambitions, he loses the opportunity to marry her and later realises that he has himself pushed away from his life the person he loved. In the events of one night, memories of the past and regret emerge before him in such a way that the entire meaning of his life and love changes.
In ‘Antim Raat’ too, Tagore places human relationships, love, emotional conflict and decisive moments of life at the centre. By bringing the two stories together on stage, the presentation brought out deeper layers of love, remorse and human sensitivities. The students’ acting, dialogue delivery and stage discipline impressed the audience. The effort to present Tagore’s sensitive stories in the language of theatre was a key feature of the performance.
A discussion on ‘Tagore’s Cultural Consciousness’ was then organised. Senior litterateur Santosh Choubey chaired the discussion. Speaking on the occasion, he said theatre is a very useful form. He said Indian modernity needs to be redefined. Kabir is a symbol of Indian modernity, and Tagore too is an important symbol of modern India.
He said Tagore’s thought reflects a glimpse of Advaita. Tagore speaks of a world beyond boundaries, where human beings are not confined within narrow limits. Tagore believed that we should work with human consciousness. Choubey said internationalism and love for the world are also visible in Kabir.
University Vice Chancellor R.P. Dubey expressed gratitude to all guests, artists, students and associates connected with the event. He said such events connect students with literature, theatre, music and Indian cultural tradition, while also giving them an opportunity to express their talent. He said six universities of the AISECT Group are operating in the country, promoting various activities in the fields of art, culture and literature along with education.
The next three days of the Tagore Theatre Festival will be dedicated to stories by Santosh Choubey. On September 7, 8 and 9, theatrical presentations based on three stories by Santosh Choubey will be staged. All three presentations will be held from 7 pm at Anjani Auditorium, Ravindra Bhavan, Bhopal.
Through these theatrical presentations, the confluence of literature and theatre will be presented before the audience.
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