Play by Manipuri theatre group wins best play at META festival

With four awards each in their kitty, Hindi adaptation of Dharamvir Bharati's 1954 play "Andha Yug", and "Agarbatti" swept this year's Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) on Tuesday.

While "Andha Yug" (Hindi adaptation) by TAMM Manipur won in the best play, best stage design, best costume and best innovative sound design categories, Jabalpur Samagam Rangmandal's "Agarbatti" bagged the award for best director, best original script, best light design and best female actor.

The two plays were among the 10 productions that battled it out during the week-long festival for one of the most coveted awards in Indian theatre.

"From unique interpretations of stories from the 'Mahabharata', to the realities of living in an urban neighbourhood basti (slum) told through the narratives of four young spirited girls, to scathing narratives of the widows of the Behmai massacre ... this year's selection of plays have been diverse in themes, styles and languages," Jay Shah, head, cultural outreach, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, said.

 

Malayalam production "Chillara Samaram" by Kerala-based Little Earth School Of Theatre took home the awards for best ensemble and best choreography.

While Rukmini Sircar (Agarbatti) and Anjana Balaji (Chandala, Impure) shared the award for best female actor, the award for best innovative sound design was a tie between Debarati Majumdar (Andha Yug) and Sumant Balakrishnan and Sudheer Rikhari (Loose Woman).

"Bhagi Hui Ladkiyan" by the Agaaz Theatre Trust received a special jury mention for "their spirited performance".

The annual META Lifetime Achievement Award this year was conferred upon eminent playwright Mahesh Elkunchwar for his contribution to Indian theatre.

"I am very happy to receive this prestigious award. META has been consistently honouring good theatre. It is a nice feeling to receive an award from people who genuinely love theatre," Elkunchwar, who has written over 30 plays and essays, said.