Yashpal Sharma, Neeraj Sood, And Rajesh Tailang Attend Bharangam Day 17

The Seventeenth Day of National School of Drama’s Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2025 showcased five theatre productions. In the student-led Advitiya segment, renowned actors and NSD alumni Yashpal Sharma, Neeraj Sood, and Rajesh Tailang graced BRM 2025.

The session was moderated by Shrivardhan Trivedi. In the literary segment ‘Shruti’, senior journalist and film critic Pradeep Sardana delivered a lecture sharing his fond memories with legendary Raj Kapoor.

Newquest Repertory (Odisha) performed Odia play ‘Dharmabatara’. It explores the moral dilemma between duty to one's personal benefit and devotion to the motherland, questioning who holds greater significance in moments of ethical crisis. The play was written by E.R. Bijaya Mishra, directed by Nalini Nihar Nayak, and showcased at Shri Ram Centre.

In today’s international offering, Actors Studio from Nepal performed Nepali play ‘Katha Kasturi’. It is a gripping tale of love, politics, and revenge set in Jaipun, a village of snake charmers. As political betrayal and hidden secrets unfold, Kasturi fights to avenge her father’s death and expose corruption. The play was written by Nayan Raj Pandey, and directed by Deeya Maskey, and showcased at Little Theatre Group Auditorium.

Under the ‘Lok Rangam’ segment, in collaboration with HUDCO, group Triveni (Gujarat) performed Gujarati play ‘Kansari - Dang's Oral Folklore’. The Tale of Kanasari brings to life the folklore of the Dangs, celebrating the Adivasi Goddess of Grains. Blessed with supernatural powers, Kanasari defies royalty by choosing love over status, invoking the forces of nature to triumph over injustice. The play was written by Dahyabhai Vadhu, directed by P.S. Chari, and showcased at NSD Open Air. 

Naya Theatre (Madhya Pradesh) performed ‘Agra Bazar’. Set in Agra’s bustling bazaar, the play follows a cucumber-seller who turns to the poet Nazir for a verse to boost sales. As Nazir’s songs enchant the market, vendors thrive, while a young vagabond’s pursuit of love leads to a tragic fate. The Hindustani language play was written and directed by Habib Tanvir, and showcased at Kamani. 

NSD 3rd Year students performed ‘Indrajit’. The play follows Ravana’s final days as he battles grief, betrayal, and destiny. As his son Adhikayan and Indrajith fall in battle, his wife Dhanyamalini and queen Mandodhari mourn their losses, blaming his pride and lust. With Indrajith’s sacrificial ritual sabotaged by Lakshmana and Vibhishana, the fate of Lanka is sealed. This play performed in authentic Therukoothu style in Tamil, was written by S.M. Thiruvengidam, directed by Kalaimani Purisai Kannapa Sambandan, and showcased at Abhimanch.

All the performances were followed by the audience having an open interaction session with the directors, cast, and crew, about the production process in the segment ‘Meet the Director’.

In the Allied Events segment, Seminar, ‘Nation Building and Theatre’ was organised. The esteemed speakers of the seminar were, Prof. (Dr.) K.G. Suresh, senior journalist, former D.G. of IIMC, and former VC of Makhanlal Chaturvedi University of Journalism and Communication; and Rakesh Sinha, former MP Rajysabha. The session was chaired by Santanu Bose, Associate Professor, NSD. In this session speakers talked about the role of theatre and its scope in the time of OTT platforms. KG Suresh mentioned inclusion of theatre in the curriculum of seemingly-unrelated fields such as science and communication. 

In another seminar, ‘Creative Economy and Theatre’, speakers, Charudatta Panigrahi, author, founder mentor at FIDR; and Rahul Bhuchar, an Entrepreneur and Actor, talked about various strategies for theatre to generate revenue. The talk included allocation of marketing funds while budgeting a production, requirement of policies similar to CSR, branding of the productions etc. The session was chaired by Prof. Sandeep Singh, Chairman, IIM Kashipur. 

Advitiya - Day 16: Today’s guests for the talk show were renowned actors and NSD Batchmates, Yashpal Sharma, Neeraj Sood, and Rajesh Tailang. The event was hosted by Shrivardhan Trivedi of Sansani fame. They shared snippets from their life and times, their memories of studying at NSD, their passion for theatre, and journey to films after graduating from NSD.

In the literary segment, ‘Shruti’, a memorial lecture was organised celebrating the centenary birth year of legendary actor, director Raj Kapoor. In the lecture, our esteemed speaker was senior journalist and film critic Pradeep Sardana. He shared his fond memories with Raj Kapoor vis-a-vis the journey of theatre and films in his own lifetime.

In this segment, a book launch and discussion of ‘Jaiwardhan ke Char Rang’ was also organised. The book comprises four plays written by playwright J.P. Singh alias Jaiwardhan. These plays, having very few characters, are varied in genres- from comedy written in farce style to period drama based on the life of Gandhari. Raj Upadhyay, theatre director, was the moderator of the session.

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