Lucknow: Theatre lovers in Lucknow, who are normally starved for activity on stage, can now look forward to a bonanza next month.
A month-long comedy play festival, “30 Days, 30 Plays” , will unfold from February 3 in Lucknow.
The organisers of the comedy festival are also set to bid for the Guinness World Records.
All the plays, directed by theatre veteran Sangam Bahuguna will be staged at UP Sangeet Natak Academy.
The actor-director has played the role of antagonist in film ‘Youngistan’ and has featured in projects like ‘Madam Chief Minister’ and ‘Dosti Zindabad’.
Bahuguna, who founded Manchkriti Samiti in 1990, said, “They are all original Hindi plays penned by stalwarts from the theatre industry. The genre we opted for is comedy to bring some cheers around. The festival will open with legendary writer Bharatendu Harishchandra’s play Andher Nagri. All the stories selected for the fest are by ace writers including K P Saxena, Urmil Kumar Thapliyal, Daya Prakash Sinha, Ramesh Mehta and Mani Madhukar.”
The team has been preparing for the event since May last year.
“I am directing all the plays but to make the process a bit smooth, I have appointed team leaders who are assisting me with direction and practice sessions. We have a good support from almost everyone from Lucknow’s theatre fraternity and are also contributing in one form or other be it for acting or in other departments,” he said.
Veteran theatre personality Lalit Kumar Pokhariyal, who is acting in two of the plays, says, “I am acting in popular plays Behrupiye and Dularibai. The festival is surely one of its kind and will be remembered for a long time.”
Pokhariyal has done films like ‘Kaagaz’, ‘Raat Akeli Hai’, ‘Wah Taj’ and ‘Bamfaad’.
With the festival, the team is looking forward to enter into record books.
“We have already got acknowledgement from India Book of Records and have also applied to Guinness World Records for 30 plays by the same director in a row.”
The festival will be inaugurated by Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel.
–IANS
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