Bihar News : Bihar’s theatre artists have welcomed the decision to establish a new campus of the National School of Drama (NSD) in Patna, saying the initiative could provide much-needed opportunities for local talent within the state.
The Centre and Bihar government have reached an agreement to establish the NSD campus in the state capital. The proposed centre will be the seventh NSD centre in the country.
The initiative is expected to provide young people and theatre practitioners in Bihar with national-level training in acting, direction, stagecraft and other aspects of theatre without having to leave the state.
Sanjeev Jha, associated with the Maithili theatre group Bhangima Patna, said artists and theatre workers in Bihar had long faced a situation similar to sportspersons, who often had to travel outside the state to find better opportunities.
“People often discussed how sportspersons from Bihar had to go outside the state to get opportunities. The same situation existed for artists and theatre workers, but it was not discussed as much. The decision by the Samrat government to establish a new NSD campus in Bihar is a very good decision,” Jha said.
Artists welcome the NSD initiative
Artists and theatre practitioners play an important role in preserving and presenting a state’s cultural heritage. Through theatre and other forms of performance, they bring traditions, folk stories and social issues before the public.
The new NSD campus is expected to connect Bihar’s rich folk theatre traditions with modern training in acting, direction, stagecraft and research. Artists hope the initiative will also help Bihar’s theatre traditions gain wider national recognition.
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for the approval.
He said the decision would provide Bihar’s rich theatre and performing arts traditions with new opportunities and greater recognition at the national level. Bihar has a strong cultural heritage and a distinctive tradition of folk theatre and performing arts.
Land selection process begins
The process of selecting land for the proposed NSD campus has begun. The Bihar government is working to provide suitable land for the project and has also initiated steps to bear 50 per cent of the approved construction cost as the state’s share.
The state government has said that all possible administrative support will be provided for the early establishment of the institution.
What Bihar’s theatre artists said
Actor Kumar Ravikant welcomed the move, saying the opening of an NSD branch or centre in Bihar was a matter of happiness and pride for theatre practitioners.
“Bihar’s theatre artists had been struggling for a long time for an NSD branch in the state. This is a matter of great happiness for theatre workers in Bihar,” he said.
Actor Kumar Kanhaiya Singh also thanked the state government for the initiative.
“This is a very big and excellent decision for artists in Bihar. With an NSD centre, talent here will get the right opportunity to move forward. Bihar will progress a lot. Many thanks to the Hon’ble Chief Minister,” he said.
Theatre practitioner Lalit Jha said his experience of working on village stages and regional television serials had made him realise the importance of formal training.
“We worked from village stages and also worked in several regional serials. We always felt the absence of a school where we could learn the finer aspects of acting. This initiative by the Bihar government is a very good step,” he said.
