Artistes of Satabdira Kalakar perform Bhakta Raghu Arakshita at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 2: Taking hiatus from a plethora of Odissi dance programmes, the focus of cultural events is shifting to theatre in the capital.

A play organised by Time Pass publications and staged by artistes of Satabdira Kalakar on December 31 and January 1 set the mood for theatre lovers in the city.

The play by Satabdira Kalakar, titled Bhakta Raghu Arakshita, was part of the monthly cultural event Jagannathayana held by the state cultural department.

The play based on a popular folklore was about a devotee of Lord Jagannath who belonged to a zamindar family but quit everything for the Lord.

From sets to the use of sound, light and music, everything created a perfect ambience. Director Dhira Mallik presentation of the climax touched the audience who came to witness the performance at Rabindra Mandap on the New Year’s Eve.

The spectators also appreciated the play Astasurya that was held on Saturday at the same venue. Written by litterateur Jagannath Das and directed by Prasant Mohapatra, the play was attended by prolific personalities from the world of literature and art. It was based on the promotion of Upendra Bhanja’s literature, better known as Bhanja Sahitya.

In the play, a government employee of the present day, Shashank, sees Bhanja himself in his dreams. Bhanja regrets why he had dedicated his life to literature, when no one today shows any interest in any classic creation. Instigated by the dream, Shashank, with help of other characters, starts making Bhanja literature popular once again.

The theatre season, however, does not end with this play. In Bhubaneswar, it is just the beginning.

A three-day theatre festival started on Sunday in the city, organised by Kendrapada’s Tulasi Cultural Association. Some more plays continue this month while February begins with a seven-day festival by theatre outfit Panchamveda. The state-level drama competition by the culture department begins mid-February while March, April and May too will be packed with theatre events.

“Although none of the shows are ticketed, it is important that the culture department is providing us the venue at half the price. More of these theatre events will obviously lead to an audience for theatre,” says Dhira Mallik of Satabdira Kalakar theatre organisation.