Spotlight on South in Mahindra theatre festival

New Delhi: The spotlight has turned on the South Indian stage at the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards with six of the 10 productions from the region this year. The troupes will stage their plays at the 2013 META Festival March 3-8 in the capital. The awards will be announced on March 9 in 13 categories, the festival organisers said in a statement Saturday. The jury that will judge the shortlisted plays comprises Nissar Allana, Shobha Deepak Singh, Anmol Vellani, Renu Roy, Bhanu Bharti and Pawan Maskara. This year, META received 312 entries from across the country. The preliminary selection committee has chosen the 10 productions, nominated across 13 categories that recognize diverse aspects of stage theatre production. The nominated plays includes "After the Silence" (Directed by Martin John & Produced by Sadhna - Center for Creative Practice), "Fevicol" (Directed by Jeetrai Hansda), "Gasha" (directed by Abhishek Mazumdar), "Kizhavanum Kadalum" (Directed by Sasidharan Naduvil), "Matte Eklavya" (Directed by Satyabrata Rout), "Mirudavidushagam" (Directed by S. Murugaboopathy), "The Priestess" (Directed by Ningthounja Deepa), "Savitri - Dancing in the Forest of death" (Directed by J. Ed Araiza), "Shillak" (Directed by Pradeep Vaiddya)and "So Many Socks" (Directed by Quasar Thakore Padamsee). Speaking on the nominations, Ravi Dubey, creative director of META said: "I am very proud to witness META`s enriching journey, now in its 8th edition, scanning the country for the best talent in theatre". Dubey said "META now has its footprints across the length and breadth of India and that is visible from the rising number of entries we get every year". Jay Shah, head, cultural outreach of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said the organisers were overwhelmed with the number of entries this year and "were delighted to present the shortlisted plays to the people". "The final list is quite diverse in content, language and styles, showcasing some extraordinary work from across the country - from Manipur to Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Jharkhand," Shah said. IANS