Aadirang, an ensemble of 130 tribal performers, brought the curtains down in style on the Bharat Rang Mahotsav

This year, the Bharat Rang Mahotsav’s logo felt especially appropriate; its burst of colours a symbol of everything the festival brought to the city. For eighteen days, Delhi became home to the different hues of theatre, invited from the different corners of the country and the world. It gathered around itself theatre lovers and practitioners, critics and veterans, newly minted fans and the usual suspects.

Quite apt, then, that on its eighteenth and final day, Bharat Rang Mahotsav ended with in a bright riot of colours. For its final performance, Aadirang, it brought together for the first time, an ensemble of 130 tribal performers from 7 Indian states. Coordinated by Laique Hussain, the performance was just the right way to culminate an event which had, across the eighteen days, been a medley of cultures, theatrical practices and experiments, languages and personalities. Aadirang too, became yet another window into the rich performance art from different corners of the country. Divided into segments, each performance highlighted the rich, distinctive flavour of the state and culture it came from.

The Ghantu dance from Sikkim, patronised by the Gurung community, told the story of its people and the land they come from, the young dancers in colourful traditional costumes. Dhollu Kunitha from Karnataka, performed by the men from the shepherd community of the Kurubas brought on the stage the resounding, rhythmic sound of powerful drums (dhollu) and breathtakingly acrobatic stunts. Bardoisikhla from Assam, a folk art form practised by the Bodo community, Rathwa dance from Gujarat, performed by the Rathwa tribe, Dappu from Andhra Pradesh, Gudum Baja of Madhya Pradesh, popular among the Dhulia tribe and Sambhalpuri & Sankh Dhwani from Odisha; each held the audience captive, spontaneous applause sweeping the galleries and punctuating a particularly difficult and impressive move.

Aadirang was a rare treat, a glimpse of what we miss in cities, the kind of performances that we do not have a chance to buy tickets for, and all those art

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Swati Daftuar / February 21st, 2015