'Headless' Rangayana delays Bahuroopi festival

It's the last month of the year already and there is no sign of the annual

Bahuroopi

National Theatre festival being held in the city.

The delay

, say those in the know, is because the Rangayana theatre repertory has no one at its helm, after director Bhageerathi Bai Kadam, and a few other office bearers, were relieved of their duties by the state government in September.

The Bahuroopi theatre fest is a first major event that the city hosts every year in the second week of January. The week-long festival brings the best of theatre from across the country to Mysuru, along with an array of events like painting exhibitions, folk performances, chitra santhe, book mela, desi food festival and film festival, among others. Joint director of Rangayana, Mallikarjun Swamy, tell us, “We are waiting for the elected director to be appointed. Once that happens, we will begin finalising details of the festival, including the theme, the participating theatre troupes and the chief guest to inaugurate the fest.”

Artiste Mime Ramesh, who has been associated with the fest for long, says, “In 2011, Bahuroopi festival was held without a director at the helm of Rangayana. All that we need is a creative director, who knows how to select the best plays. There are veteran theatre personalities who are experienced enough to organise the Bahuroopi theatre festival, but it’s best to have a director. Normally, preparation for the festival begins six months in advance, but nothing has been done so far this year.”