BHUBANESWAR: The Smart City will co-host the 8th Theatre Olympics organised by National School of Drama (NSD) under the aegis of Union Ministry of Culture. This is for the first time that India is hosting the largest international theatre festival.Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT), Bhubaneswar and Department of Tourism and Culture will collaborate with NSD and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to host the Bhubaneswar segment of the biggest theatre festival.
Since Bhubaneswar is one of the co-hosting cities of the grand event, it is expected to give theatre enthusiasts an opportunity to experience a variety of folk, national and international theatre from February 24 to March 10 at Rabindra Mandap.People can watch a series of 14 stimulating world class performances, including specially invited plays from renowned theatre maestros like ‘Galpo Hekim Saheb’ (Manoj Mitra), ‘Ishq Malangi’ (Mustaq Kak), and ‘Shri Ram Bijoy’ (Dulal Roy), international productions ‘Mohajoner Nao’ (Sudip Chakraborthy, Bangladesh), ‘Matbring’ (Yusuf Hasan Arko, Bangladesh), and ‘The Suspended Thread’ (Pino Di Buduo, Italy).
“Theatre is a great equaliser and unites people of multiple cultures and traditions. We are extremely proud to bring the world’s largest theatre festival to India. During the 51-day long nationwide celebration, we attempt to bridge the borders across countries and engage in creating a global village,” said acting chairman of NSD Society Arjun Deo Charan.
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu had inaugurated the 51-day nationwide theatre extravaganza at Red Fort in New Delhi on February 17. With ‘Flag of Friendship’ as its theme, the 8th edition of Theatre Olympics is celebrating universal friendship and human values by showcasing theatre traditions of India and the world.