NSD to hold 3-day festival with theme of independence struggle

The National School of Drama (NSD) on Monday announced it would hold a three-day festival from Thursday as part of the government’s “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” to celebrate 75 years of Independence.

Three plays would be staged to showcase the contribution of Mahatma Gandhi, Kasturba Gandhi and others in the freedom movement, the NSD said. The festival will start with the staging of ‘Jagdamba’ performed by Rohini Hattangadi and directed by Dr. Pratima Kulkarni, it said. ‘Bapu’ by Natyamandap Patna would be staged on Friday and “Pehla Satyagrahi” by the NSD Repertory on Saturday.

NSD chairman and actor Paresh Rawal said: “The struggles and events in the freedom struggle have their own inspirations, their own messages, which today’s India can imbibe and move forward. We have to use different mediums to spread these inspirations to the masses. This platform is one of them.”

NSD acting director Dinesh Khanna said special arrangements would be made to make the festival COVID-safe, including social distancing and limiting the number of audience members to 50% of the auditorium’s capacity, or about 120 people. Masks would be mandatory, he said. Passes for the festival would be available at the NSD campus free of cost from Tuesday onwards. Only one pass allowing two people would be issued to each person, on first come first serve basis, he said.

The event was organised as part of the government’s 75-week series of events in the run-up to Independence Day 2022.