For a theatre lover, the last six days must have been the best days of 2013. The biggest annual celebration of Indian theatre, Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (Meta), came up with the 10 shortlisted plays from a whopping 312 entries this year. Starting from March 3, Meta has been showcasing different plays selected from the length and breadth of the country in two of Delhi’s most happening theatre auditoriums — the Little Theatre Group Auditorium and the Kamini Auditorium. On the seventh day, March 9, an award ceremony will be held at the Taj Mahal Hotel where the best ones will be honoured.
The plays will be judged on 13 categories by a jury that consists of eminent personalities in theatre, like Nissar Allana, Shobha Deepak Singh, Anmol Vellani, Renu Roy, Bhanu Bharti and Pawan Maskara. The awards consists of a specially designed trophy and a cheque of `1,00,000 for the Best Production, `75,000 for Best Original Playwright and `45,000 for all other award categories.
The 10 plays selected this year are quite diverse in their nature, content, language and style. There is also some extraordinary work from small theatre groups like Nt Theatre or Rembrance Theatre Group who have come from small states like Assam, Manipur, Jharkhand etc to showcase their talent on the national platform.
Jay Shah, head, cultural outreach, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., said, “We were overwhelmed with the number of entries this year and are delighted to present the shortlisted plays to people. The final list is quite diverse in content, language and styles, showcasing some extraordinary work from across the country.”
“When we entered in the annals of theatre eight years ago, there was nothing much to talk about in Indian theatre. Mahindra looked at every nuance and found that theatre lacks corporate support in India. So over the last eight years it gave every kind of assistance a theatre artist requires to get the necessary recognitions and financial support. And today we are happy that we have reached such heights where the quality of theatre produced over the years has improved considerably and we have got the national-level recognition, too,” adds Shah.
However, it had not been an easy journey for Mahindra & Mahindra, says Shah. “Though the initial two-three years were very difficult where we had very few entries. But once the word of news had spread, it was upward journey. Every year has been better than the previous year,” says Shah hoping that the journey would be more successful in the coming years and that they would be able to create more and more theatre artists.
The interest and encouragement Meta has inspired among theatre artists in India can be judged from the fact that the number of entries has increased manifold since the first time the awards ceremony was held in 2006.
They had about 250 entries last year, which now rose to 312 entries, from which the preliminary selection committee chose the 10 best productions, nominated across 13 categories that recognise diverse aspects of stage theatre production.
Shah admits that Indian theatre is lacking behind European countries in making a global impact, but he is happy to see that “we have at least made a start”. He says, “We want to create an atmosphere where people would come and say ‘Yes, I want to be part of the theatre in India’. Everyone deserves to get a right to perform. The 10 theatre groups selected all over India are world class, but what is missing is exposure and opportunity. We are exactly doing this so that our artists get real exposure.”
“Theatre is an art form that holds up a mirror to society and a powerful medium for social change. It shows us a new way to see our world, and develops and nurtures other performing arts like music and dance within its fold. It is a field that is often neglected, especially when compared to film, which is the more glamorous sibling, and deserves wider corporate support,” says Anand Mahindra, chairman and managing director of Mahindra & Mahindra.
Here’s a sneak peak at some of the best plays that have been shorilisted for the Meta Awards.
Matte Eklavya (Directed by Satyabrata Rout and produced by Aadima Ranga Tanda): The play examines his sources of Ekalavya’s knowledge. Ekalavya is seen as a metaphor, and his story is woven through contemporary imagination.
Savitri — Dancing in the forest of death (Directed by J. Ed Araiza and produced by Thresh): It is the story of a woman’s journey of loss, search, discovery and spiritual freedom through love. Traditionally, and through many different interpretations over the centuries, Savitri has been seen as a pious woman upholding ideals of patriarchal Hinduism.