Revamped in ’22, Kalyan theatre ‘again in ruin’: Artistes

Kalyan: Alleging lack of even basic facilities at Kalyan's sole civic-run auditorium—Atre Rang Mandir—Marathi theatre artistes said their poor condition is affecting performances and keeping reputable artistes away.They claimed that rats kept running around during a play on Saturday and the power went off six times. "Not only did these repeatedly disrupt the show, but we had to also apologise to the audience for the inconvenience," said Shradha Hande, an artiste. She alleged that the staff was missing. "There were also some sparks near some wires. Our artistes acted promptly and averted a fire," she said.A group of theatre artistes put out a video to highlight difficulties and appealed to Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) to improve the theatre's condition. The artistes said Kalyan has a rich cultural and historical legacy and was once a preferred destination for renowned theatre personalities. However, due to recurring inconvenience and the deteriorating infrastructure, many prominent artistes are now reluctant to perform in Kalyan city, they said. Visitors, too, avoid coming for shows and prefer to go to theatres in Thane and Mumbai, they added.Rahul Pawar, director of production house Advait Creation, said, "KDMC charges the highest fees for shows as compared to Mumbai and Thane civic bodies, but the facilities provided are sub par. The air-conditioners don't work properly and even leak. The bathrooms are not clean."The artistes met Umesh Borgaonkar, Shiv Sena (UBT) group leader in KDMC, on Monday and demanded immediate intervention in upgrading facilities, improving maintenance and ensuring a better environment for performers as well as audiences. Borgaonkar said KDMC had spent crores into the theatre's beautification in 2022. "I will ask it to look into the issue seriously".Manik Shinde, manager of Atre Rang Mandir, acknowledged that there were "some inconveniences", but disputed some of the allegations raised by the artistes. "Audience members often leave food inside the auditorium after shows, which attracts rats. The repeated power disruptions on Saturday were due to stormy weather conditions in the city," he said.Dombivli, too, has a civic-run auditorium—Savitri Bai Phule Theatre—which has been shut for the last few months for repairs.