Jamshedpur, Feb. 15: Theatre treats its audience royally, senior artiste Meghnad Bhattacharya said while speaking at Grand Drama Festival, the three-day theatre show organised by The Milanee and the Jamshedpur Theatre Association.

“No other mode of entertainment takes into consideration the mood of the audience. But we interact directly with people,” said Bhattacharya on the eve of staging his play, Dildar, at The Milanee.

However, said the director of reputed theatre group Sayak, there has been a substantial drop in the audience for theatre shows in modern times.

The middle-class populace retains “a fair amount of interest”, he added.

Dildar, conceptualised by Chandan Sen, showcased how creativity had to bow to the necessity to earning a livelihood. The protagonist, Dildar Hussain, who has an artistic streak, is forced to engage in menial jobs to earn money to save his family. On the verge of death, he finds solace in the hands of one Rinti, who has been shunned by society.