The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) will support theatre and drama events for poor children in the city, Mayor Sanjay More has said.
The TMC, which sponsors several events in the city, will henceforth also support the theatre for the deprived children, More said during a drama festival of slum children held at an auditorium here last evening.
The mayor also appreciated the manner in which students from Kausa-Mumbra area depicted the 'Safai Abhiyan' (cleanliness campaign) in a play.
A total of 20 drama groups of children staged their performances on December 30, out of which five were selected for the final show held yesterday.
The musical play 'Tanav' having no dialogues, enacted by a group from Wagle Estate, bagged the first prize of Rs 10,000.
Noted Marathi actor Makarand Anaspure, who was the chief guest at the event, gave away the prizes.
Addressing the children, who were mostly from the slums, Anaspure asked them to do amateur theatre till the completion of their studies and then focus on acting.
He said that enacting plays would prove very helpful in making them learn many things about life.
He asked the children not to take shortcuts to acting and not to crave for awards. The recognition and appreciation that comes from the audience is the real award, he said.
Noted Marathi writer, movie and play producer/ director Ratnakar Matkari, the brain behind the theatre for slum children, was also present on the occasion.
