Bhubaneswar, Mar 27: The 27th edition of the National Kalinga Nata Mahotsav, a five-day multilingual theater festival, concluded yesterday at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar. Organized by Satabdira Kalakar, one of India's most acclaimed theatre groups, the festival showcased a wide variety of plays, including productions in Odia, Sambalpuri, Hindi, and Assamese.
The festival kicked off with the Odia play “Mahasangramara Mahanayak”, directed by Dhira Mallick and written by Biswabhusan Harichandan, former Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. This inaugural performance was presented by the artistes of Satabdira Kalakar.
On March 23, the Assamese play “Dronacharya” was staged by Purba Ranga, a theatre group from Assam. Directed by Gunakar Devgoswami and written by Mrinmaya Bhuyan, the performance was a significant highlight of the festival.
The festival continued with several other remarkable performances. On March 24, “Sadhana” (Sambalpuri), directed by Satya Ranjan Behera and written by Ashis Sonar, was presented by the Shree Cultural Association from Sambalpur. The next day, March 25, “Karnagatha” (Hindi), directed by Oasis Sougaijam and written by Asif Ali, was performed by Bharatendu Natya Akademi from Lucknow. On March 26, the Odia play “Dhara”, directed by Hara Prasad Pattnaik and written by Dr. Nibedita Jena, was staged by Kalakar Theatre, Bhubaneswar.
In addition to the impressive array of performances, the festival also honoured several distinguished personalities for their contributions to the theatre world. Theatre veterans Bibhuti Bhushan Mohanty and Sakaleswar Pattanayak were presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Actor Alhadini Kar received the Sumitra Samman, while director Hemant Kumar Mohapatra was honoured with the Rabindranath Das Natyakar Samman. Other awards, such as the Pramila Pratibha Samman, were presented to Ramachandra Sasamal and Ramesh Chandra Maharana.
The festival also celebrated a number of artists, journalists, and writers with the prestigious Satabdira Kalakar Samman. The recipients included journalist Harapriya Prusty, writer Narendra Kumar Mishra, actor Chittaranjan Ray, and photojournalist Tikan Biswaranjan, among others.
Looking ahead, Satabdira Kalakar is preparing to celebrate its Golden Jubilee in 2026. A year-long series of events, beginning on April 18, 2025, will commemorate the group's 50-year journey. The celebrations will start with the play “Harmonium” at Bhanja Kala Mandap in Bhubaneswar, followed by performances of “Biplabi Kruttibas” and “Baanchhara Bagicha” at Rabindra Mandap. At least one production will be staged each month across Bhubaneswar and other locations in the state until April 2026, marking a remarkable milestone for the theatre group.
