Actors enact a scene from the play, Xisa Panir Maas, on Wednesday. Telegraph picture

Aug. 1: The weeklong Natasurya Drama Festival began today with the staging of popular Assamese comedy Xisa Panir Maas.

Written by Mahendra Borthakur, the play is based on life inside a police station where a reporter goes to file an FIR after her motorcycle is stolen. The drama has been a crowdpuller.

Last year, Munin Phuyan’s Hati Aru Phandi, portraying the life of a phandi (skilled mahout) family, was staged at the opening programme.

Inaugurating this year’s festival, the senior official of the state cultural affairs department, Swapnanil Barua, said Phani Sarma has remained a superstar in Assamese drama for the past 50 years.

He recalled the ability of Sarma in directing plays and also his excellence as an actor.

“It is a question how far the actors and others theatre personalities have succeeded in understanding Phani Sarma’s works. He was brilliant in acting and direction,” Barua said.

He added that drama in Assam has advanced commercially but could not play a reformatory role.

The inaugural lamp of the festival was lit by Phani Sarma’s son, Ranjit. A souvenir, Natasurya, was also released during the inaugural function.

The festival is being organised with support of the directorate of cultural affairs of the state government.

Actor, playwright and filmmaker Natasurya Phani Sarma wrote a number of plays, including Bhogjara. In 1948 along with Bishnu Rabha, he made a feature film, Siraj, and in 1955, he directed and starred in Pioli Phukan. Ito Xito Bahuto was his last film.

This time, the organisers have invited Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee who will be on stage on the sixth day of the festival.

The other plays which will be staged in the festival are Abhimane Jetia Hridoy Sporxe directed by Suruj Kumar Saikia (on August 3), Moi Jen Ek Rodor Bilap directed by Upakul Bordoloi (on August 4), Xukh, Dukh aru Anyanya Kotha directed by Pranjal Saikia (on August 5).

Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwala’s epoch-making play, Rupalim, will be staged tomorrow by the Dergaon-based Northeast Theatre Academy.

Rupalim is based on a beautiful story and some of its characters like Mayabo, Rupalim and Manimugdha are very familiar to the Assamese people.

Theatre groups Mukhomukhi and Pratik Arts Theatre from Calcutta and Mumbai will stage Homapakhi and Massage on August 6 and 7 respectively. Chatterjee will play the protagonist in Homapakhi.

The Natasurya Phani Sarma Xoworani Xamiti (also known as Natasurya), has held workshops and symposium, published books and organised programmes to felicitate those who have rendered valuable contribution to society and the cultural world.