BENGALURU: With Bengaluru being home to around two lakh Assamese, a theatre group from the North East India is coming to the city to give Bengalureans a taste of local theatre, through their theatre-on-wheels initiative.
Organised by four main Assamese associations – Assam Association Bangalore, Assamese Society of Bangalore, East Bangalore Bihu Society and Srimanta Shankardev Cultural Society Bangalore (SSCSB), mobile theatre, known as bhramyamaan, is a form where theatre groups travel around the state with technicians, props and artistes to different places. “It’s the norm for people to generally attend plays, but here, we take the play to them,” points out Preeti Bhuyan, a member of the organising committee, who has been here for 18 years.
Awahan, a 40-year-old theatre troupe, is now led by popular actor Prastuti Parashar, whose team will stage three plays – Mokorajaal, Sanyasini and Madhuri Mor Naam. “Our group has 160 people, including makeup artists, musicians and technicians. All of them are from the village, but are very talented,” Parashar says.
She adds that while they used to travel and perform extensively in Assam, this is the first time that Awahan is presenting its work outside the state. “Depending on the response, we will decide our next move. If all goes well, we might even stage our popular work called Moi Maar Sowali,” Prastuti adds.
For Munindra Kuma Bharatee, a member of Srimanta Shankardev Cultural Society Bangalore, this form takes him back to his childhood when he used to watch mobile theatre performances in his village till late night. “It gives us a nostalgic feel, which we are trying to recreate for Bengalureans,” he says.The plays will be staged on April 27, 28 on Sarjapur Road, from 7:30pm. Tickets: bookurevent.com, `150 onwards.