MUMBAI: Makrand Deshpande's Ansh Theatre Group is back with their yearly festival at the Prithvi Theatre. For their thirtieth-year celebration, they have a theme to fuse Bhav, Raag, and Taal - what they believe is integral to the craft of theatre. The six day festival will kick start with a collaborative performance between Sitar Maestro Niladri Kumar and Makrand Deshpande - Janm. The festival aims to cater to a younger and young-at-heart audience with their various productions.

Apart from the performances in the theatre, the festival will also open up conversations with esteemed guest speakers at the Prithvi House. This series of conversations is named Natya Karyashala and will have conversations about sets and lights, music, mime, and taal in classical dance.

Elaborating on the theme for the festival, Makrand Deshpande shares, "Ansh Bharat Yagya is a theatre festival dedicated to our Classical roots and Social commitment"

Be a part of this BHARAT Yagya from the 17th to the 22nd of January at the Prithvi Theatre and Prithvi House.

Festival Line Up:

JANM
Day & Date: Tuesday, 17th January
Time: 8 PM
Venue: Prithvi Theatre
Language: Hindi
Duration: 1 Hr 10 mins
Age Limit: 8+ Yrs
Synopsis: Birth of God's creation is the birth of an artist.
You will witness this 'BIRTH' live with sitar maestro Niladri Kumar and actor Makarand Deshpande.
Writer & Director : Makarand Deshpande

BALATKAAR, PLEASE STOP IT!

Day & Date: Wednesday, 18th January
Time: 8 PM
Venue: Prithvi Theatre
Language: Hindi
Duration: 2 Hrs (With an Interval)
Age Limit: 18+ yrs
Synopsis: A theatre company decides to do a play on the occasion of International woman’s day. The subject decided by the director creates discomfort among the actors.
The play evokes laughter at the hypocrisy!
Writer & Director : Makarand Deshpande
Cast: Divya, Ninad, Bharat, Sushil, Aakanksha, Purva, Vikram, Abhijeet, Anuj, Richa, Divya, Sharmila, Nancy, Sahil, Gaurav
 
EPIC GADBAD

Day & Date: Thursday, 19th January
Time: 6 & 9 PM
Venue: Prithvi Theatre
Language: Hindi
Duration: 2 Hrs (With an Interval)
Age Limit: 6+ yrs
Synopsis: A historical wedding or a hysterical wedding? Aarti’s wish for a fairy tale leads to a lavish debacle through an unpredictable rollercoaster ride called Gadbad.
Writer & Director : Makarand Deshpande
Cast: Sanjay Dadhich, Aakanksha Gade, Madhuri Gawli and others

RAM

Day & Date: Friday, 20th January
Time: 6 & 9 PM
Venue: Prithvi Theatre
Language: Hindi
Duration: 2 Hrs (With an Interval)
Age Limit: 12+ yrs
Synopsis: A madman is thrown out of the temple, in rage he proclaims Ram has come out of the temple to meet him. A Hawaldar (policeman) confronts the madman and his beliefs about Ram’s existence. Madman's answers shock even the Ramleela actors who witness the finale.
Writer & Director : Makarand Deshpande
Cast: Makarand Deshpande, Nagesh Bhosle, Ajay Kamble, Ninad Limaye, Aakanksha Gade, Madhuri Gawli, Bharat More and Ankit

DHAT TERI YEH GRIHASTI

Day & Date: Saturday, 21st January
Time: 6 & 9 PM
Venue: Prithvi Theatre
Language: Hindi
Duration: 2 Hrs (With an Interval)
Age Limit: 6+ yrs
Synopsis: An unhappy married couple decides to help society. Teri yeh Grihashi is an organisation under which prospective husbands and wives are given on hire to understand marriage institutions. An old couple after 50 year’s of marriage and a young couple in love but confused about marriage join the activity. A brahmachari decides to be the one man officer worker.
Writer & Director : Makarand Deshpande
Cast: Ajay Kamble, Aakanksha Gade, Sushil, Esha Dey, Ankit Mhatre, Shaunak Chandorkar, Bhagya Nair, Rudransh Bundela, Neeha Garg

SIR SIR SARLA

Day & Date: Sunday, 22nd January
Time: 6 & 9 PM
Venue: Prithvi Theatre
Language: Hindi
Duration: 2 Hrs (With an Interval)
Age Limit: 6+ yrs
Synopsis: Love the only subject that has no curriculum. An unfelt, untold story of a professor and his students after they have graduated - a play between memory and reality begins. Sarla's memory manifests itself into reality. Phanidhar and Sir are caught in a tornado of emotions.
Writer & Director : Makarand Deshpande
Cast: Makarand Deshpande, Aahana Kumra, Sanjay Dadhich & Ninad Limaye

TIME BOY (Children's Play)

Day & Date: Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd January
Time: 11 AM (Saturday) / 3 PM (Sunday)
Venue: Prithvi Theatre

NATYA KARYASHALA with Makarand Deshpande & Esteemed Guests at Prithvi House (Tickets Available on Book My Show):

1.  Wednesday, 18th January, 1 PM - Makarand Deshpande in conversation with Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi and Mr Ajit Rai on " Existence of Theatre over thousands of years in BHARAT and its Impact"

2.   Thursday, 19th January, 1 PM - NATYA THROUGH " SETS & LIGHTS  Makarand Deshpande chats with Sheetal Talpade, Amogh Phadake, Sumeet Patil and Teddy Maurya on Theatrical interactions of text ( written words ) through Lights, Sets & Properties, followed by practical guidelines.

 3.  Friday, 20th January, 1 PM - NATYA THROUGH " MUSIC AND RAAG IN VOCALS " - Makarand Deshpande interacts with Music Director Makarand Deshpande & Kedar Bhagat about Musical interpretation of text in plays & theatre. followed by practical guidelines and Classical music vocals by " Rachita Arora"

4.  Saturday, 21th January, 1 PM - NATYA THROUGH "BHAAV IN MIME Makrand Deshpande interacts with Tejas Malap, Mime is a way of expressing beyond words, not just without words. Followed by mime performance by Tejas Malap & team

5.  Sunday, 22nd January, 1 PM - NATYA THROUGH " TAAL IN CLASSICAL DANCE " Bharatnatyam performance by - "Aakanksha Gade", Kathak performance by - "Esha De" followed by interaction with Makarand Deshpande.