Nandanik Natya Sampraday, one of Bangladesh’s longstanding theatre groups, will celebrate its 49th anniversary with a two-day festival at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on 22 and 23 October.
Founded on 16 October 1977 by a group of enthusiastic young people, Nandanik has spent nearly five decades using theatre to reflect social realities and engage audiences through stage productions.
The anniversary celebration will bring together distinguished personalities from different fields. The programme will feature theatre, an opening ceremony and a film screening.
The festival will begin at 5:30pm on 22 October with the inaugural ceremony. At 7:30pm, the group will stage ‘Nripoti’, a play written by acclaimed novelist and playwright Humayun Ahmed.
On 23 October, ‘Nripoti’ will be staged again at 6pm, followed by a screening of ‘Noya Manush’, a feature film directed by Sohel Rana Boyati, at 7:30pm.
Nandanik general secretary Badruddoza said the group had overcome numerous challenges during its 49-year journey and remained committed to contributing to Bangladesh’s cultural development.
“Nandanik is one of the country’s traditional theatre organisations. We have travelled this long road of 49 years through many ups and downs.
With the theme ‘May the spirit of Nandanik awaken in the hearts of all’, we want to move forward and remain part of Bangladesh’s cultural progress,” he said.
The group’s president, A Ma M Hasanuzzaman, said theatre had an important role in addressing social complexities and creating opportunities for healthy and honest artistic practice.
He also thanked audiences and well-wishers for their continued support, which he said had helped the group bring its productions to the stage.
As Nandanik marks the milestone, the festival will celebrate its history while reaffirming its commitment to theatre and cultural life in Bangladesh.
