How The Drama Theater Scene Of Bhubaneswar Was Born

How The Drama Theater Scene Of Bhubaneswar Was Born

Initiated by the International Theater Institute (ITI) in 1962, World Theater Day is celebrated annually on 27 March by ITI Centers and the international theater community. Various national and international theater events are organized to mark this occasion. Along with other places of the state, in the capital city only there are theater places like Rabindra Mandap, Bhanjakala Mandap, Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya mini auditorium and few other places. 

Theatre plays run more often in these places. But still there are aspiring actors and some other people who love this culture but are not aware of this. With the changing time the number of theater groups has increased in Odisha in the last few years. Including theater groups like Satabdi Ra Kalakar, Ajit, Uttarpurusha, Jiban Rekha, Ranga Bhumi, Panchma Foundation, Ebong Ame, Manana, Mukti, Bijay Eka Ucchwasa, Samrat Sie Kalara Pujari, Expression, Sabuja Natya Sanstha and Asim Basu Foundation there are more than 14 groups active in the city presently.

Veteran theater actor and director Dhirendra Kumar Mallick runs his own theater group named Satabdi Ra Kalakar, which is one of the finest groups of the state.  Mallick said to My City Links, “We have established this group in 1976, till now our group has 175 theater plays to its credit.  Besides Odisha, our group has presented plays at places like New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Puducherry, Vizag, etc. From 1985- 1998, we used to organize a children’s film festival and from 1999 we started organizing a national multilingual theater festival named ‘Kalinga Natya Mahotsav’, where theater groups from other states participate and perform.” The group also runs an acting school named ‘Biju Natya Kendra’, which offers a six month duration acting course.

From the very old times the legendary actors of Odisha like Prasant Nanda, Jayiram Samal, Hemant Das, Dukhiram Swain and many more have started their career from the Annapurna Theater. And later they all become iconic actors. Other legendary actors like Bijay Mohanty and Ajit Das are the first generation of actors who made it to the NSD, Delhi and latter have had great contribution towards the making of ‘Sangeet Mahavidyalaya’ where other prominent actors of the state like Raimohan, Minaketan, Hara Pattnaik, Harihar Moahapatra, etc. were born. Veteran actor Uttam Mohanty also entered into acting after doing theater plays at his native place Baripada.

Another young drama director and actor from the city Sarat Samrat, who owns the theater group Samrrat Sie Kalara Pujari said, “We have registered this group in the year 2013. And till now our group has presented more than 10 plays under my direction. The first play of our group was ‘Chauthi Rati’ having only two characters, who performed on stage for two and half hours at one stretch. And eventually that play became a milestone for us.” Before starting this group Sarat had acted in more than 50 theater plays in several theater groups. Besides acting in several daily soaps like Samparka, Gayatri, Bhagyabidhata, etcHe has assisted veteran actor and director Prashant Nanda and also acted in few ad films.

Many of India’s crème de la crème of actors like Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Farookh Sheikh, Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddique were born on the theater stage. We at My City Links respect and value each and every form of art and artist. So on this beautiful occasion of World Theater Day we wish all the theater lovers and artists fruitful years ahead.