Taking a serious note of the allegations of obscenity and nudity in a drama staged at the closing ceremony of the 18th Bharat Rang Mahotsav at the Rabindra Mandap here on Friday evening, Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Chandra Panda on Saturday said the National School of Drama (NSD) would be asked for a report on the issue.
In the latest move, the NSD has banned the enactment of the play across the country and tendered apology for staging of the play in the State.
Panda said a notice would be sent to the NSD, which had selected the Polish play Sonaka for the NSD Satellite Drama Festival.
“Odia culture never allows nor promotes any nudity. The act could have been presented in a symbolic way instead of resorting to nudity. A report will be sought from the NSD authorities over the incident,” said Panda.
The drama, in which a woman artist was portrayed as nude in a scene, was showcased at the Rabindra Mandap as part of the ongoing international theatre festival. The drama was being enacted by a Poland-based theatre group, Alexander Jiereko.
Meanwhile, alleging that there was a blatant display of nudity on the stage, activists of the Nari Sachetan Mancha staged a road blockade near the Rabindra Mandap and tore the posters in protest against the portrayal of the drama. The activists locked the hall’s main gate and also tore posters displayed near the auditorium.
The play Sonaka presented by foreigners created an awkward situation with female actors exposing their bodies. Some of the embarrassed viewers even walked out of the hall midway. There were also some protests after the drama was over.