48th State-Level Annual Theatre Festival of ‘Srasta’ Concludes; Play Bhinna Eka Siddhanta Staged on Final Evening
Balasore, February 9 (Krushna Kumar Mohanty): The 48th State-Level Annual Theatre Festival of the theatre organisation 'Srasta', organised with the support of the Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture, concluded successfully.
The valedictory evening was dedicated to culture lover and eminent pediatric medicine specialist Dr. Bijay Kumar Giri. The programme was sponsored by his son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Amitabh Giri and Dr. Madhubala Giri.
Held at Gandhi Smruti Bhavan, the programme was graced by DRDO Assistant Director Niladri Ray as the chief guest. The guests of honour were Rajiv Mahapatra, President of Balasore Alloys, and noted theatre director Sangram Keshari Mohanty.
Speaking on the occasion, the guests expressed concern over the declining audience interest in contemporary theatre. They stressed the need to stage meaningful and audience-oriented plays to reconnect theatre with the masses. They also highlighted how theatre, in the present time, can create social awareness, convey meaningful messages, and guide society towards positive change.
The programme was anchored by 'Srasta' secretary and playwright Hemendra Mahapatra. Presiding over the function, Alok Kumar Sahu delivered the opening address. Stage management was handled by 'Srasta' member Brahmanath Rath, while playwright Pitambar Das proposed the vote of thanks.
This was followed by the staging of Srasta’s own production, 'Bhinna Eka Siddhanta'. The play was written and directed by Hemendra Mahapatra, co-directed by Gouri Shankar Sahani, with music direction by playwright Sushanta Kumar Das. The production was presented by the artists of Srasta.
The performances by Ratikanta Malik, Prasanna Kumar Das, Biswajit Mahapatra, Dibakar Mahanty, Pushpita Padhi and Swati Panda were widely appreciated. Their refined acting created an engaging atmosphere and left a strong emotional impact on the audience.
Members of 'Srasta', including Dibakar Mahanti, Gouri Shankar Sahani, Samarai Kar, Sangram Mahanti, Ramachandra Mahapatra, Saroj Raut, Ratikanta Malik, Madan Mohan Sahu, Ajit Panda, Pushpita Padhi, Girija Shankar Kar, Pradeep Satapathy, Rashmiranjan Das, Biswajit Mahapatra, Manoranjan Das, Swagatika Barik, Swatismita Das, Sumana Parida, Swati Panda, Ruturaj Barik, Sourajit Sahu, Anubha Satapathy and Santosh Kamila, among others, actively contributed to the smooth conduct and overall success of the festival.
