Instituted to encourage and boost talent in the world of theatre in India, the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) today announced the nominations for 2009. META 2009, which is into its fourth year, has registered a record 200 entries from all over India this year. The entries are rich in diversity, having come from across various regions in India and spanning many languages from English, Hindi, Gujarati to regional languages like Kannada, Tamil, Manipuri, Oriya and Assamese. Of these entries received, 10 best productions have been short-listed for nominations.
META is the only award of its kind, which is designed to showcase the best talents in theatre being produced in India. The primary objective of META is to encourage all aspects of theatre craft such as playwriting, set design, costume and light design, direction and performance.
A selection committee that comprises prominent personalities associated with theatre, and who hail from different parts of the country screened the over 200 entries. The 10 best plays selected by the committee are enlisted below
- AAO SAATHI SAPNA DEKHEIN ( A play in Hindi produced by Actors cult production, Mumbai )
- ABSENT LOVER (A play in English and French produced by Thresh, Chennai)
- AFSANEH - BAI SE BIOSCOPE TAK (A play in Hindi produced by AK Various productions, Mumbai)
- ALL ABOUT WOMEN (A play in English produced by A K Various Productions, Mumbai)
- AYUSSINTHE PUSTHAKAM - THE BOOK OF LIFE (A play in Malayalam produced by Ravivarma Kalanilayam, Kerala )
- HAMLET - THE CLOWN PRINCE (A play in English and gibberish produced by Company Theatre, Mumbai)
- KALIVESHAM (A play in Malayalam produced by Sopanam, Kerala )
- LAYLA MAJNUN (A play in Urdu produced by Shabdaakar, Delhi )
- MADHYABARTINI (A play in Hindi and Assamese produced by Seagull Theatre, Assam)
- SHAKKAR KE PAANCH DAANE (A play in Hindi produced by Aranya, Mumbai)
These productions have received nominations in 13 various categories that include best actor, best script and best director.
Speaking on the response to META 2009 Mr. Ravi Dubey, Creative Director META said, "The selection process gets challenging year after year with an increasing number of productions registering for META-and this year we saw a record number of over 200 entries from across India. We are delighted to see that META is gaining popularity and is now one of the much awaited awards in the stream of both emerging and established theatre. META 2009 will present its audience with a perfect cultural blend that is synonymous with every facet of theatre in our country".
A National Jury of eminent personalities from the world of performing arts will view the plays during the 'Theatre Festival' starting from 28th Feb till 5th March. The winners will then be announced at the awards night on the 6th of March at the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi.
About The Mahindra Group:
The US $3.8 billion* Mahindra Group is among the top 10 industrial houses in India. Mahindra & Mahindra is the only Indian company among the top five tractor manufacturers in the world and is the market leader in multi-utility vehicles in India. The Group has a leading presence in key sectors of the Indian economy, including trade and financial services (Mahindra Intertrade, Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Ltd.), automotive components, information technology & telecom (Tech Mahindra, Bristlecone), and infrastructure development (Mahindra GESCO, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Ltd., Mahindra World City). With over 60 years of manufacturing experience, the Mahindra Group has built a strong base in technology, engineering, marketing and distribution. The Group employs over 30,000 people and has several state-of-the-art facilities in India and overseas. The Mahindra Group has ambitious global aspirations and has a presence in five continents. Mahindra products are today available in every continent except Antarctica. M&M has one tractor manufacturing plant in China and three assembly plants in the United States. It has made strategic acquisitions across the globe including Stokes Group (UK) and Jeco Holding AG (Germany). Its global subsidiaries include Mahindra Europe Srl. based in Italy, Mahindra USA Inc. and Mahindra South Africa. M&M has entered into partnerships with international companies like Renault SA, France, and International Truck and Engine Corporation, USA. Forbes has ranked the Mahindra Group in its Top 200 list of the World's Most Reputable Companies and in the Top 10 list of Most Reputable Indian companies.
