Kolkata: The week-long National Theatre Festival in Kolkata kicked off on Thursday at the Minerva Theatre with state social welfare minister Sashi Panja inaugurating the event. Besides a plethora of luminaries, veteran theatre artist Rudra Prasad Sengupta and minister Bratya Basu also graced the occasion.

Speaking on the importance of theatre and its role in shaping the Indian society, Bratya Basu said, "theatre has always played a significant role in portraying the true image of the society."

"I have no right to criticise other forms of art, but modern cinemas are influenced by western cultures. This influence is greatly disrupting the growth of Indian culture. On the other hand, theatre highlights the true essence of traditional Indian cultures", said Basu.

He also recalled the contribution of 'Gano Natyo Sanghtan' (People's Theatre) for providing the perfect platform for theatres to thrive on.

Rudra prasad Sengupta said, "theatre is the most powerful medium of communication and celebrates the richness of Indian culture." He regretted that professionals are poorly paid in the theatre industry and mentioned cinema did give theatre a run for the money.

However, gradually people in Bengal are pouring in for theatre performance and reviving the lost glory of the theatre, Sengupta added.

'Gadha aur Gadda' by Nasiruddin Shah and 'Raju, Rajaram aur Mai' by Saman Joshi are expected to woo in lots of audiences.

(Picture Courtesy: www.wikipedia.org)