2014 Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards Announce Jury and Nominees; Ceremony Set for March 9

The biggest annual celebration of Indian theatre, Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) has announced the Jury panel and nominees for its 9th edition. The 8 shortlisted productions, out of which 3 are in English, 2 in Hindi, 2 in Malayalam and 1 Multilingual will perform live at the 2014 META Festival. The festival will start from March 4th - 8th, 2014 in the capital and the Awards will be announced on March 9th, 2014. The eminent Jury of META 2014 consisting of Mr. Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Ms. Shabana Azmi, Mr. Shyam Benegal, Ms. Swati Bhise and Mr. Utkarsh Mazumdar will view and judge the shortlisted plays.

META has received 300 entries this year from all over the country. The Selection Committee has chosen the 8 best productions out of these entries, nominated across 13 categories that recognize diverse aspects of theatre production.

The shortlisted plays are as follows:

- 9 Parts of Desire (Directed by Lillete Dubey & produced by Primetime Theatre Company from Mumbai, English)
- Gabarghichor (Directed by Praveen Kumar Gunjan & produced by The Fact Art and Cultural Society from Begusarai, Hindi)
- The Open Couple (Directed by Faraz Khan & produced by 71 MM Productions from Hyderabad, English)
- Purushasukta (Directed by Joseph Jon & produced by Abhjnana Theatre Research Foundation from Bangalore, Multilingual)
- Moment Just before Death (Directed by Liju Krishna & produced by Saga Entertainment from (Thrissur, Malayalam)
- C Sharp C Blunt (Directed by MD Pallavi & Sophia Stepf and produced by Individual Performer from Bangalore, English)
- Piya Behrupia (Directed by Atul Kumar & produced by The Company Theatre form Mumbai, Hindi)
- Macbeth (Directed by MG Jyothish & produced by Abhinaya Theatre Research Centre from Thiruvananthpuram, Malayalam)

Speaking on the nominations, Ravi Dubey, Creative Director of META said, "It's highly enthralling to be a part of META's journey, now in its 9th edition and looking for the best talent across the nation in theatre. META is known across the country in the theatre community and it is clearly visible from the number of entries that we receive every year. Yet again, META received around 300 entries this year and it has been quite a challenge to shortlist the 8 best plays that made the difference. The eight plays are brilliant in their own ways and truly stand up to the excellence of the festival."

Jay Shah, Head, Cultural Outreach, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, "In continuance of its aim of recognizing and rewarding the best in Indian theatre, META 's objective is also to unearth unknown talent and to give a platform at the national level to theatre groups that exist in small towns and cities across India. The entries have been phenomenal this year and while South has a predominance this year too, the final list is quite diverse in content, language and styles, showcasing some extraordinary work from across the country. Thus, proving our initiative to spark conversations across cultures and create a positive impact on the art form we support. META Awards are the only national level recognition in the field of theatre. We are proud that this is what we had set out to achieve."

This jury will adjudge winners from across the following 13 categories:

• Best Play

• Best Director

• Best Stage Design

• Best Light Director

• Best Innovative Sound/Music

• Best Costume Design

• Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male)

• Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female)

• Best Supporting Actor (Male)

• Best Supporting Actor (Female)

• Best Original Script

• Best Ensemble

• Best Choreographer

The shortlisted productions will perform live in Delhi from 4th March 2014 till 8th March 2014 during the META Festival in New Delhi, which will be open to the public. The plays will be staged at the Little Theatre Group Auditorium at 5:30 pm and the Kamani Auditorium at 7:30 pm every day except for March 4, where the play will be staged at Kamani first, followed by LTG at 7:30p.m. The awards night will be held on 9th March 2014 at the Taj Mahal Hotel, No. 1 Man Singh Road, New Delhi. For more information on the nominees, visit www.metawards.com.

About Mahindra: The Mahindra Group focuses on enabling people to rise through solutions that power mobility, drive rural prosperity, enhance urban lifestyles and increase business efficiency.

A USD 16.7 billion multinational group based in Mumbai, India, Mahindra employs more than 180,000 people in over 100 countries. Mahindra operates in the key industries that drive economic growth, enjoying a leadership position in tractors, utility vehicles, information technology and vacation ownership. In addition, Mahindra enjoys a strong presence in the agribusiness, aerospace, components, consulting services, defence, energy, financial services, industrial equipment, logistics, real estate, retail, steel, commercial vehicles, two wheeler industries and Media and Entertainment industry.

Its media and entertainment company, Mumbai Mantra Media Ltd., presented the Indian National Award-winning Best Feature Film, 'Antaheen' and co-produced 'The Tempest' directed by Julie Taymor. Currently, it is evaluating various opportunities in the media and entertainment space in India as well as internationally.

Visit us at www.mumbaimantra.com.

The Mahindra Group has a long standing commitment to the arts and humanities. The Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) were created to encourage both emerging and established theatre and the event celebrated its eighth anniversary in 2013. The Group's encouragement and support to world music will be at its fore at the fourth annual Mahindra Blues Festival in Mumbai in February 2014 - the largest festival of its kind in Asia - showcasing the best international Blues artists and providing a common platform for emerging Indian Blues bands.

In 2012, Mahindra featured on the Forbes Global 2000 list, a listing of the biggest and most powerful listed companies in the world. In 2013, the Mahindra Group received the Financial Times 'Boldness in Business' Award in the 'Emerging Markets' category.

Visit us at www.mahindra.com.

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