Kolkata set for art, theatre feast

Kolkata: To celebrate and promote theatre and painting, a three-day international theatre festival and a week-long painting and sculpture exhibition will be organised in the city beginning Oct 3. "The art forms are all interconnected, and this festival aims to promote and celebrate paintings and theatre," said eminent theatre personality Debashish Mazumdar, also the president of the city-based Sudrak theatre group, which is organising the festival to coincide with its 35th year. "Every painting is like a play telling its own tale, while every scene of a play is like a painting," said Mazumdar. Along with plays by groups from Assam and Bengal, "Dhaboman" by noted Bangladeshi playwright Selim Al-Deen will be staged. "Al-Deen is considered one of the pioneers of street theatre in Bangladesh and has played a pivotal role in the theatre movement of his country. Dhaboman belongs to the post-colonial `narrative` genre, but significantly deals with an indigenous community`s beliefs and myths," Mazumdar said. Curated by renowned art critic Mrinal Ghosh, the painting exhibition - `Dramatic Tension in Visual Art` - will display works of 36 prominent artists including Ganesh Haloi, Jogen Chowdhury and Sameer Aich. While the painting exhibition begins Oct 3, the theatre fest will commence Oct 5. IANS