Renowned actors Mohan Agashe and Lilette Dubey enact a scene from the play Aadhe Adhure during the drama festival in 2011. File picture

July 22: Come August 1, the city will host the 17th Natasurya Drama Festival, a weeklong event with an assortment of handpicked plays.

Among other attractions, iconic Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee will play protagonist in a play on the sixth day of the festival.

Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla’s epoch play, Rupalim, will be staged during the festival to remind the audience about the three prominent characters of the play — Rupalim, Mayabo and Manimugdha — and the poignant love stories that string them together, once again.

Northeast Theatre Academy, a theatre group hailing from Dergaon, will stage the play directed by Simanta Phukan on August 2.

The festival will be held in Rabindra Bhawan, with support of the directorate of cultural affairs of the state government.

Natasurya Phani Sarma (1909-1978), actor, playwright and film director, wrote a number of plays, including Bhogjara.

In 1948, along with Bishnu Prasad Rabha, he made a feature film Siraj, and in 1955, he directed and starred in Pioli Phukan. His last film was Ito Sito Bahuto.

August 1, the inaugural day of the festival, is the 41st death anniversary of Sarma.

Giyashuddin Ahmed, organiser of the festival and the general secretary of the Natasurya Phani Sarma Xoworani Xamiti, said this time 100 artistes from different parts of the state would light diyas in the inauguration ceremony of the festival.

Khagen Mahanta, Manisha Hazarika, Pulak Banerjee and Archana Mahanta are some of the artistes who will be present at the ceremony.

This year, Xisa Panir Maas, written by Mahendra Borthakur, is the inaugural play of the festival.

The play is based on the happenings in a police station, where the story unfurls after a reporter goes to file a first information report regarding the stealing of a motorcycle.

Last year, the festival was inaugurated by Munin Phuyan’s Hati Aru Phandi, portraying the life of a phandi (mahout) family.

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

Two theatre groups, Mukhomukhi and Pratik Art Theatre, from Calcutta and Mumbai, respectively, will participate in the festival.

On August 6 and 7, Mukhomukhi and Pratik Art Theatre will stage their plays, Homapakhi and Massage, respectively. Chatterjee, known for his performances with the distinguished film director Satyajit Ray, will play the protagonist in Homapakhi.

Natasurya Phani Sarma Xoworani Xamiti, a pioneer socio-cultural organisation, held workshops, symposia, published books and organised programmes to felicitate the eminent figures for their valuable contribution to society and the cultural world.

“The show will start at 6.30pm everyday. The organisers have arranged two shows for the play Massage at 5pm and 8pm on August 7. While there is no entry fee for the first five days, the audience will have to pay a nominal fee for the plays Homapakhi and Massage,” Ahmed said.