The magical power of theatre to captivate an audience through a wonderful mix of storytelling, stagecraft and performance has enthralled audiences over hundreds of years. And this year the National School of Drama will bring Bharat Rang Mahotsav – one of the biggest theatre festivals in the world, with a quest to rediscover the magic of theatre.

To be organised from 1st to 21st February 2016, the 18th Bharat Rang Mahotsav will be held across leading venues in New Delhi, while the parallel festivals this year will take place in Jammu, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar and Thiruvananthapurambetween 3rd and 14th February 2016.

Bharat Rang Mahotsav promises to be bigger and better than ever with theatre groups from over 10 countries including USA, Australia, Italy, Sri Lanka, Poland, Bangladesh, Spain, China, Pakistan, Austria. Some of the finest names in the theatre world, such asMs. Corinne Maier( Switzerland), Ms. Pornart Damrhung( Thailand), Ms. Amanda  GayMorris&Mr. Stefanos Rassios( Singapore), Mr. Zeca Ligiero (Brazil), Mr. Qurban Ali (Afganistan), Mr. Haukur J. Gunnarsson (Norway), Mr. Christopher Loar (New York), Mr. Pujitha (Sri Lanka), Mr. Nicola Pianzola (Italy),          Mr. Sampath Parera (Sri Lanka), Ms.Anna Dora  (Italy) along with Mr.Nana Patekar, Mr. M.K. Raina, Mr. Pankaj Kapur,Mr.Anupam Kher, Mr. Paresh Rawal, Mr. Saurabh Shukla, Mr. Mohan Agashe, Mr. Chandrashekhara Kambara, Mr. Kanhai Lal, Mr. Ram Gopal Bajajfrom India, among othersset to be a part of the festival. The biggest theatre groups from almost all the states of India will also travel to showcase their talent at the festival.In a bid to promote theatre in other parts of the country as well, Bharat Rang Mahotsavwill also be held at Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir), Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), and Bhubaneswar (Odisha).

Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Hon’bleMinister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) &Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Govt. of India and eminent stage and film personality Mr. Nana Patekar have consented to be the Chief Guest and Guest of Honor at the inaugural ceremony of the 18th Bharat Rang Mahotsav.

In an effort to highlight the relevant issues, the festival this year will incorporate seminars on diverse topics such as“Rediscovering the Magic of Theatre”, “Today in Today’s Theatre” and “Emerging trends in Indian Theatre” by eminent personalities such as Mr. RanjitKapoor, Mr. Mohan Agashe, Dr. Ram Gopal Bajaj, Mr. Sunil Shanbag, Mr. SadanandMenon, Mr. Nand Kishore Acharya, Mr. KanhaiyaLal, Mr. DaulatVaidand many more.Several performances including folk arts, master classes, Living Legend series are also scheduled to add to the entertainment as well as learning during the 21-day extravaganza.

A major highlight this year is the inception ofMaster Classsessions featuring various aspects of theatre by expert personalities Mr.SamikBandyopadhyay, Mr.BalanNambiar, Mr. ChandrashekharaKambara, and Ms. Joy Michael.

Dr.KapilaVatsayayan, Mr.AdoorGopalakrishnan, Smt. SonalMansingh, Mr. Indira Parathasarathy, Mr.Jabbar Patel, and Mr. Nana Patekarwill feature in the Living Legend Series, in what promises to be fascinating insights into the world of theatre from some of the biggest names and an opportunity to meet these legends face to face.

During the latter part of the festival, a global initiative in the form of a seminar called“World Theatre Forum” will be conductedwherein academic discussions will be held on ‘Rediscovering the magic of theatre’. Speakers from countries as Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Norway, Italy, USA, Brazil and India will grace the event and share their experiences.

BRMwill provide a platform to artists coming from remote areas, showcasing more than 300 ambience performances in the venue. These include street play, dance and musical performances, adding to the attraction.

Recent graduates of National School Of Drama are scheduled to perform “Land where life is good”, “Mother of a traitor”, “Tar Aaya”, “Rasa Nishpatti” and “Question Mark” directed by Mr.TenjenzungbaKechu, Mr.PannagaJois, Mr.PanduRanga, Mr. Martin Jishiland Ms Nikita T.S,respectively.

NSD is venturing to set up a Theatre Bazar this yearalsofor the theatre lovers, enthusiasts and audience in general. In the Theatre Bazar, products related to theatre will be showcased such as handicrafts, theatre lights, theatre books, musical instruments, madhubani paintings, and mask making artists. A food hub with authentic and traditional cuisines from across the country will be on offer.

The 18th Bharat Rang Mahotsav will also pay tribute to Prof. S. Ramanujan in the form of a Tamil play “Pethannasami Thalattu”, a documentary and exhibition based on his work.

Prof. WamanKendre, Director, National School of Drama said, “This is a platform on which we can really rediscover the magic of theatre by experiencing theatre and connect with this wonderful medium. It is also one of the rare opportunities for artists and audience to see global theatre expressions at one place.Bharat Rang Mahotsav is one of the biggest theatre festivals in the world and we are looking forward to welcome everyone and make this a high quality and enjoyable aesthetic experience for our audiences.”

ShriRatanThiyam, Chairperson, National School of Drama Society said, “The Bharat Rang Mahotsav is a prestigious theatre festival and we select plays keeping in mind the variations of theatre, forms and style along with strong emphasis on in-depth aesthetic expressions, newness and innovation. This is a great opportunity not only for existing theatre lovers but new audiences as well to see the best of plays from around the world under one platform."