BRINGING THEATER TO THE MASSES

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The Pink City was alive with theatrical energy on the morning of February 19, as theater enthusiasts from across Rajasthan gathered for the 8th edition of the Rang Rajasthan theater festival. But this year, the festival kicked off in a way that was truly one-of-a-kind, with a mesmerizing Walk Theater event ‘Rang Karvaan’ that left the Jaipurites with a feeling of awe and excitement.

Early on a Sunday morning, participants gathered at the iconic Jawahar Kala Kendra to embark on a thrilling 16 km walk through some of the city’s most scenic spots, including the Hawa Mahal and Albert Hall. Along the way, they performed as many 18 spectacular theatrical acts, including physical performances, musical acts, poetry renditions, and monologues. These included rendition of Krishna Chetavani by Girish Kumar Yadav, Rang Rajasthan Ki Jeevan Yatra by Yuvraj, Geet Garibon Ka by Sudhanshu, Exam Fever and The Recipe of a Criminal by Pritam, Dot Stop by Shweta and Shikha, among others.

The brainchild of Abhishek Mudgal, founder of the Rang Rajasthan festival and leader of the Rang Mastaaney Theater Group, Walk Theater is a unique initiative that seeks to bring theater out of the confines of the auditorium and onto the streets. By connecting theater with the masses in this way, the group hopes to break down the barriers between the performers and the audience, and make the experience of live theater more accessible to everyone.

This was the fourth such walk organized by the group in Jaipur, and it attracted participation from some of the most eminent figures in the world of theater, including the renowned mime artist Vichitra Bahadur, who presented a stunning mime performance, and Rajendra Singh Payal, who narrated the story of Jaipur.

Telling more about the event, Abhishek Mudgal shared: “The walk started at 6 am and lasted for approximately six hours, with the performances taking place at various venues along the route, including Gandhi Circle, Birla Mandir, Albert Hall, Tadkeshwar Mandir, Hawa Mahal, and Ravindra Manch. There were around 60-70 participants in the walk and at each venue they were joined by spectators from all walks of life.”

The Rang Rajasthan theater festival will be on till 28 February at Jawahar Kala Kendra and will witness 21 plays and several workshops and masterclasses, school outreach programmes, talk shows, street plays as well as musical performances.