Hyderabad August 13,
Banian Repertory Theatre’s magnum opus- Jallianwala Bagh: Manglen Onkhraba Lamjao was staged at the Rabindra Bharathi Auditorium here on August 11 Sunday at 7.30pm in the 14th Abhinaya National Theatre Festival 2019 held from August 6 to 12 jointly organised by the Department of Language and Culture, Government of Telangana, Telangana Sangeet Nataka Academy and Abhinaya Theatre Trust, Hyderabad. The large audience was enthralled by the perfect combination of visuals and special effects of the play and they were in pin drop silence throughout the play and had standing ovation after the play.
The play directed by Ksh Phajaton Chanu is the stage adaptation of renowned literateur K. Padmakumar’s Jallianwala Bagh, a piece of prose, dramatised by Dr Makhonmani Mongsaba, It is a tragic story of Ratnabali, a housewife from one of the houses of neighbourhood of Jallianwala Bagh. This is the story of blood, sweat and tears of Ratnabali the wife and the Ratnabali the mother on a fateful night that watches her grow to womanhood. This is homage to hundreds of unarmed people who were not only killed but murdered mercilessly.
B.Shiva Kumar, Chairman of the Telangana Sangeet Nataka Academy who was the Chief Guest of the day of the festival praised the breathtaking performance of the Banian Repertory Theatre coming Manipur, a distant place from Hyderabad. He said that the play reminded us of the horrific event of India’s Freedom Struggle Movement. He applauded the superb performance of W. Naobi who played the role of Ratnabali and blessed her. Later, B. Shiva Kumar distributed mementoes and certificates to each and every artiste of the theatre group.
Meghachandra Kongbam, Chairman of the Banian Repertory Theatre expressed gratitude to the Hyderabad audience for witnessing a Manipuri play attentively and also commended Abhinaya Srinivas, Chairman of the Abhinaya Theatre Trust for his tireless effort to make the grand theatrical event every year.
The first day of the festival witnessed the welcome dance of Kuchipudi by Kumari Koka Vijaya Lakshmi and her team, and an Odia play- Simna Kanthi(The Boundary Wall) directed by Satyaranjan Behera of Sri Cultural Association, Sambalpur, Odisha, which was followed by a Telugu play- Am aha..Kam kaha by Tallavajjula Sundaram of Murari Kala Nilayam, Hyderabad, Telangana.
On the second day, a Hindi play- Nangeli by Dhananjay Sable of Arhat, Mumbai, Maharashtra and a Telugu play- Ippudu by Gedda Vara Prasad of Abhinaya Theatre Trust,Hyderabad, Telangana were staged.
On the third day, an Andhra dance drama tradition- Golla Kalapam by Yashoda Thakore of Rinda Sarnya Academy, Hyderabad, Telangana and Jallianwala Bagh:Manglen Onkhraba Lamjao by Ksh Phajaton Chanu of Banian Repertory Theatre, Imphal, Manipur.
The last day witnessed a Kannada play- Thiruka Raja by Ramakrishna Belthur of Janapadaru Sanstuthika Vedhika, Hoskote, Bengaluru, Karnataka.
