Nabarangpur: With the joint initiative of the Odisha Bhasha Sahitya o Sanskruti Parishad, Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi, and Odisha Natya Sangha, the second evening of the ongoing theatre series at Bhanja Kala Mandap, Bhubaneswar, witnessed the staging of the play “Andhara” by Tridhara Natya Sangha, Nabarangpur. As per the format of this theatre series, registered drama groups from different districts of Odisha are nominated to stage their plays every month from the 1st to the 3rd at Bhanja Kala Mandap. In this context, Tridhara Natya Sangha from Nabarangpur was selected to perform “Andhara”.
The cast included talented artists such as Do Tripathy, Raghunath Rath, Shiba Shankar Tripathy, Prakashini Choudhury, Bibhudatta Sethy, Ritesh Pujari, Ashok Panda, Pabitra Dora, Nityaprakash Ningi, and Bijay Barik, who delivered brilliant performances in diverse roles.
The central theme of the play revolved around the idea that although light is what we see, darkness always hides behind it — and life flows within the interplay of this light and darkness. The story powerfully reflected the realities of today’s world plagued by bribery, lies, and deceit. The audience was deeply moved and could not hold back their tears during many scenes.
At the end of the play, the spectators appreciated the strong social narrative and emotionally intense performances, noting that the play managed to evoke both tears and laughter in a meaningful balance.
The play was directed by Rina Rani Behera with the assistance of Bishwabhushan Mahanti. Members of the Odisha Natya Sangha also supported by managing the stage operations effectively.
