The Natyadhara, a monthly theatre programme now underway in the city is organised by the Odisha Sangeet Natak Academy, the Department of Culture and the Odisha Natya Sangha.
However, a few theatre institutions, not in the Odisha Natya Sangha membership list, have demanded place in monthly Nayadhara programme. They have also questioned the role of the Sangha. Since last couple of days, the issue has been a hot discussion.
Here it is squarely pertinent to mention that if there is Natyadhara today and if the groups from across the State are performing in capital, it is only because of the tireless efforts of the Odisha Natya Sangha.
History says Babaji, a play written, directed and staged by Jaganmahan lala in Mahanga long back in 1877, is the first modern Odia play. But the professional theatre groups like Annapurna Theatre, Odisha Theatre, Janata Rangamancha and a few others cropped up and infused life to the Odisha theatre movement. In the eighties, these professional theatre groups died unnatural death arguably due to the severe onslaught of the silver screen and the idiot box. The Odishan theatre movement did not stop there. Some 10 to 15 committed theatre groups stood and started serious theatre.
At that time, when the Government’s patronage in the field of theatre was next to nothing and when the theatre had already lost its audience, these committed theatre groups formed Odisha Natya Sangha solely for betterment of theatrical movement.
The Sangha had regular meetings and discussions with the Government officials for succour. The effort finally bore fruit. Thus Natyadhara started in 1989. At that time, a theatre institution was asked to stage a play for five evenings in the Bhanjakala Mandap in a week, resulting in 20 shows in a month. In 1990, surprisingly enough, the dhara of natya again broke, for reason best known to the Government.
The member institutions of Sangha put up plays and held theatre festivals on their own. And side by side, went on to persuade the Government for assistance. Finally the Government listened to the demands of the Sangha. The Department of Culture, the Odisha Sangeet NataK Akademi and the Odisha Natya Sangha chalked out a detailed plan regarding the funds and the guidelines.
In 2012, again the Natyadhara programme was started, and is still going on. Initially in this programme, a single play was being staged in the Bhanjakala Mandap by a single group coming from within the radius of 200km from Bhubaneswar on the first, second and third day of every month. A sum of Rs 15,000 to meet production expenses was being given to each team. Now three different plays are being performed by three different groups. And Rs 15,000 has been hiked to Rs 17,000. Similarly, a group coming from out of 200 km radius from Bhubaneswar stages one play in the Rabindra Mandap on the second Sunday of every month. For staging a play in the Rabindra Mandap, a group was getting a sum of Rs 20,000 which has been hiked to Rs 24,000 now. The Culture Department is though providing both the mandaps free of cost, taking Rs 2,000 and Rs 4,000 as development fee respectively. The Natyadhara programme is so successful that all the four evenings are usually going houseful.
The Odisha Natya Sangha organising the Nayadhara successfully for more than four years has now 154 theatre groups from all over the State. And still other groups are joining. These groups are not only performing, but also holding festivals, seminars and workshops in their respective districts. For Natyadhara alone, the Sangha is taking much pains in selecting play and group so that the audience will witness a good play.
Why the Sangha has been so successful in presenting groups with successful plays is only because it has membership of as many as 154 theatre institutions. This apart, it has a mindfully carved out design of office bearers covering all the districts. The Sangha has one president, four vice presidents in each of east, west, south and north zones, one secretary, four secretaries in four zones, advisors, treasurers, executive body members and area representatives across the State.
Now a few theatre institutions neither in the Odisha Natya Sangha, nor having any role in shaping Natyadhara are questioning why Sangha membership is mandatory for a chance in Natyadhara performance and why the Sangha is selecting groupsIJ Why not the Akademi itselfIJ
Today the Odisha Natya Sangha called a press meet at Bhanjakala Mandap where president Manaj Pattanayak clarified that the Sangeet Natak Akademi has given charges to the Natya Sangha to ensure quality of the programme by carefully choosing theatre groups. And, the Sangha is pulling all stops in discharging its job. When asked about the Natyadhara participation criteria, he said any registered theatre group can have a chance in the programme. But it should have staged at least two dramas per annum inside the State and should consist of regular and reputed artists along with a professional director who must be regularly associated with the group he belongs to. Besides, it should have staged plays in other State festivals and the organisation should deposit the documents asked by the OSNA.
“We ask for the Sangha membership for a group for performing in Natyadhara only to maintain the quality of the programme that rests on so many aspects’’ he said, adding theatre begets brotherhood, not enemity and all are welcome to Odisha Natya Sangha for the betterment of Odisha theatre.