Scenes from the play Nishidha Kakhya that were showcased at the theatre fest in Puri. Pictures by Sarat Patra

Bhubaneswar, April 5: A state-level theatre festival is regaling art lovers in Puri.

Organised by the city-based theatre troupe Rangashala, the festival is celebrating its 7th edition at the open-air theatre of Muktakasha Rangamancha.

The five-day festival began on Wednesday. On the inaugural day, the host team presented the play Nishidha Kakhya. Written by Sankar Tripathy and directed by Bikram Sahoo, the play showed the demon Ravan in positive light.

The play conveyed that the king of Lanka kidnapped Sita as he wanted to die at the hands of Lord Ram. This would have given him a place in the heaven.

“The play shows that there are no shades of black or white but only grey. There is goodness in evil and evil in good,” said Bikram.

On the subsequent day, the host team presented another play titled Ajati. Veteran movie star-turned-politician Bijay Mohanty wrote it. It spoke about the wide gap between two castes. Depicting the oppression, the lower caste villagers are subjected to by landlords, the play, also directed by Bikram Sahoo, highlighted the menace of superstition and illiteracy and how education could alleviate the sufferings of poor villagers. It is also a story of love and vengeance.

A couple of plays were lined up for the third day of the festival. On Friday, two plays Pratibimba and Swapna were staged by Kendrapara-based theatre troupe Nataghara.

Subranshu Shekhar Parida directed both the plays. Students of NIT, Rourekla, performed today where they presented a Hindi play titled Bees Saal Baad. The play is written by Choudhary Jaiprakash Das and directed by Nalin Nihar Nayak.

The festival will conclude tomorrow with Nirbasita Nanabaya, a play on a poignant subject. It would be staged by Bhubaneswar-based troupe Uttar Purush. Based on a story by Ramachandra Behera and directed by Abhinna Routray, the play is themed on the social ostracisation of an unwed mother.

“The theatre aficionados of Puri always have reasons to rejoice when such quality plays are staged,” said Swati Mahapatra, a college goer.