The 7th Natyamela will be held from March 2 to 9 with the involvement of various theatre groups and stage personalities from the city.

The Natyamela was scheduled for November, but the government indefinitely postponed it after several stage veterans decided to boycott the festival to protest the Nandigram atrocities. Some had even called for the fest to be scrapped.

Kumar Roy, the chairman of Paschimbanga Natya Akademi, said: “We have come out of that phase and things have eased up. So many festivals are taking place, why stop Natyamela? The groups that were invited for the November fest will be invited again.”

“When so many theatre festivals are being held all around, we have no right to say no to the 80 groups that are waiting to stage plays in Natyamela,” said stage director and actor Meghnad Bhattacharya.

Sukanto Roy, of the Natya Akademi, said the thrust this year will be on groups from the districts and the outskirts of the city. “Only a few from Calcutta will perform in the festival, while more than 60 groups from the districts will stage their shows here.”

The venues are Nandan, Rabindra Sadan, Sisir Mancha, Bangla Akademi, Madhusudan Mancha, Girish Mancha and the BD Auditorium in Salt Lake. “We plan to include Minerva theatre in the list, if it is ready by then,” said Roy

Apart from the plays, the festival is likely to feature discussions, debates and theatre music performances.