Vijayawada: The three-day 51st annual celebrations and 27th comedy playlet competitions of Sumadhura Kala Niketan commenced with grandeur at Siddhartha Auditorium here on Friday.
The event organised in collaboration with Mummaneni Subbarao Siddhartha Kala Peetham, witnessed a vibrant cultural start with a traditional Nadaswaram performance, followed by an elegant Swagata Nrutyam by the disciples of Ch Ajay Kumar, showcasing the grace of Kuchipudi dance.
Veteran stage, film, and television artiste, director, and writer Susheel Kumar Misro (SK Misro) was honoured with the G Radha Krishna Murthy Memorial Puraskaram, commemorating the late senior artiste and director. The theatre competitions kicked off with two engaging playlets and the first playlet ‘Veedem Mogadandi Babu,’ was presented by Kalanjaki, Hyderabad, penned by PT Madhav and directed by Koll Radhakrishna. The play humorously explored the everyday phrase ‘Veedem Mogadandi Babu’ in a theatrical context.
The second playlet ‘Work from Home’, staged by Sahrudaya, Dronadula, was written by Addepalli Bharat Kumar and directed by K Mahendra. This play cleverly depicted how hidden talents emerge when circumstances demand, focusing on a husband’s unexpected skills being revealed to his family and friends. Both plays received an enthusiastic response from the audience.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairperson of the AP State Creativity and Cultural Commission Podapati Tejaswi lauded the organisation’s relentless efforts in promoting theatre over the last five decades. Dr MC Das, Honorary President of Sumadhura Kala Niketan, Dr N Murali Krishna, Chairman of the Parishad Committee, P Lakshmana Rao, President of Siddhartha Kala Peetham, Boppana Narasimha Rao, and PVB Sarma, Secretary of Sumadhura Kala Niketan were present.
