Delhi festival to highlight Kashmir's traditional folk theatre

A three-day festival at the Indira Gandhi Centre for the Arts in Delhi will showcase the traditional folk theatre of Kashmir -- Bhand Pather -- from April 5.

The traditional dance drama of Kashmir has been eclipsed in the recent years by the various socio-political and financial issues plaguing the valley.

Actor and eminent theatre personality M K Raina will direct these dance dramas, known colloquially as Natya Prayoga.

Raina’s repertoire, spread over 35 years of work, includes Gosain Pather -- a traditional Bhand Pather play.

During the festival, the fascinating history of these dance dramas and their societal evolution will be discussed by eminent panelists including Professor T N Ganjoo from Kashmir, Professor Kamalesh Dutt Tripathi from Varanasi and Professor Farooq Fayyaz from Kashmir.