No two shows of a play are the same. There are improvisations, changes, additions and subtractions involved, no matter how well-rehearsed a play is. But what if we told you that at an upcoming theatre event in the city, playwrights, directors and actors will get only a day to present a show? That’s exactly what the likes of Annie Zaidi, Mukta Bam, Rahul Rai, Meghna Roy Chowdhury, Pradeep Vaidya and Shaili Sathyu, among others, will be busy doing this week.Kya hai Naatak Express?Naatak Express first emerged as the end-of-course event at Bhasha Centre’s Think Big, Think Small, and in its second edition, it’s shaping into something that unites a community. The concept is simple – 12 plays will be staged by 12 playwrights, 12 directors and 60 performers, in 3 languages – Hindi, English and Marathi. The catch? They will be given topics just 24 hours prior and the teams will include people who will be working together for the first time.
“It’s a collaborative effort. The playwrights and directors are selected by the producers, while we had an open call for entries for actors,” shares Laya Kumar, one of the producers.
Our core philosophy is to create a fresh network of artistes that unite to support the theatre community. It’s a fundraiser to support the work of independent arts organisations
Vaishnavi RP, one of the producers
Fostering collaborations and building a communityThis is the second year of Naatak Express but for Pune’s theatre enthusiasts, it’s the first-of-a-kind event. At the forefront are three women – Vaishnavi RP, Laya Kumar and Phalguni Vittal Rao – young producers from Nagpur, Coimbatore and Mangalore who believe there is immense value in storytelling and collective belonging.
“The idea is to build a community with the common love and respect for theatre as an artform,” says Vaishnavi, adding, “We want to show participants as well as the audience that this artform is not just about performers.
There’s a small army, from technicians to logistical support team and more, that makes a play happen.” Phalguni adds that this is a non-profit initiative. “Besides giving exposure to those involved, especially the amateur artistes, Naatak Express is aimed as promoting the values and reach of theatre.
All proceeds from this event will go towards Changbhala Foundation which is working towards socially committed theatre by working with women and children and speaking about constitutional values through theatre,” she shares.
The directors: Megha Patil, Kalpesh Samel, Sapan Saran, Satish Manwar, Meghna Roy Chowdhury, Pradeep Vaidya, Sanket Parkhe, Zameer Kamble, Niranjan Pedanekar, Shaili Sathyu, Aditi Venkateshwaran and Nidhi Krishna.The playwrights: Mitali Joshi, Himanshu Smart, Mukta Milind Bam, Sainath Ganuwad, Anukriti Mishra, Chanakya Vyas, Vanya Singh, Rahul Rai, Annie Zaidi, Akash Mohimen, Hina Siddiqui, Sahil Minhas
Producers Laya Kumar, Vaishnavi RP and Phalguni Vittal Rao
