Date:24/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/24/stories/2008112456230300.htm

Other States - Orissa

Telugu drama festival concludes

Staff Reporter

- Photo: Lingaraj Panda

Gripping fare: A scene from a Telugu play being enacted at the two-day drama festival being organised by Karunashree Kala Tirtha in Berhampur on Saturday.

BERHAMPUR: A two-day Telugu drama festival organised by ‘Karunasri Kala Samity’ concluded in the city on Sunday .

This amateur Telugu theatre troupe had born in the city in 1968. Till now it has done numerous performances in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Chhatisgarh. On the inaugural evening on Saturday the troupe acted one of its most popular plays ‘Nari Veri’. The writer of the play from Rajahmundry, Bharatulu Ramkrishna and Union Minister of State for Rural Development Chandrasekhar Sahu were among the guests.

Although written decades back on the vagaries of dowry system ‘Nari Veri’ still draws huge applause during performances, said the director of the play K.Venkat Rao, who is the present president of the troupe.

This play denoted the changes in the role of women in our society which makes them transform from protectors to exploiters through the dowry system. This play was unique as all characters in it were women. None of them had any professional training in acting.

They were housewives who had donned a different role on stage. It is our effort to keep alive interest of news generation towards Telugu language and culture in states where Telugu speaking people are linguistic minority, said Mr. Rao.

A troupe from Hyderabad also performed a one act play during inaugural evening. The play was a satirical humour ‘Putuku Jura Jara Dubuku Me’. It was based on the recent trend to show off using ornaments and other items borrowed from neighbours. A large crowd of drama lovers enjoyed the plays till late night.