Theatre takes centre stage on the fourth evening of the 31st Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival

Bhubaneswar :Following the previous evening’s compelling performances in Bharatanatyam
by Shri Samrat Dutta and ShriSantanu Roy with their powerful presentation of
Dashamahavidya, and the Odissi presentation by Smt. Chinmayee Dwaraknath and the
Temple of Fine Arts, Coimbatore, the fourth day of the 31st Guru KelucharanMohapatra
(GKCM) Award Festival 2025 at RabindraMandap, Bhubaneswar, presented an exclusive
theatrical experience that explored the profound depths of human emotion and psychological
complexity.

The evening commenced punctually at 7 pm with the ceremonial lamp lighting, graced by the
presence of esteemed guests Shri Chandra Sekhar Hota, Secretary, Odisha Sangeet Natak
Akademi; Eminent Music Director and Singer Shri Laxmikant Palit; Former Secretary of
Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi Shri Prabodh Rath; Noted Veena Player Guru K. Ramarao
Patra, Smt. Anuja Tarini Mishra, Officer-On-Special Duty, Odia Language, Literature and
Culture Department alongside Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, Director, Srjan, thus marking the
commencement of the penultimate evening of this prestigious festival.

The evening featured the festival’s only theatre performance, a performing art intricately
connected to the Odissi of today, distinguished by its profound exploration of inner
psychological landscapes where actors channel human emotions through dialogue, gesture,
and dramatic tension, creating an intimate communion between performer and audience.
ShriNaliniNiharNayak, versatile theatre director and actor,and his theatre troupe, the
Newquest Repertory, founded in 2003 are committed to popularizing Odisha’s rich theatrical
heritage.The repertory has presented 25 plays of great social significance across different
states of India, including acclaimed productions such as Gatitvam, Ehtuantee,
Aasaamabanakujiba, Naga Mandal, ByaghraRohan, Dharmabatar, EkAbastavaGalpa,
MuthaiMatee, After Twenty Years, and Brundabanara Sesha, exploring versatile themes in
Odisha’s contemporary theatre landscape.

They presented ByaghraRohan, a satirical play that depicted the destructive nature of
hedonistic humans who wished to tame a trapped tiger to prove their heroism. The audience
witnessed a gripping tale unfold on stage as the individuals of a kingdom, from the gardener
to the minister fought amongst themselves for the chance to demonstrate their prowess. The
drama culminated when the king’s decree resulted in the perilous act of “ByaghraRohan,”
despite his reluctant prince’s philosophical objections to such a display. Through their
compelling performance, left a lasting impact on the audience with this powerful and moving
commentary on power dynamics and moral corruption.

The prestigious Award Presentation ceremony will take place on the final evening following
four nights of exceptional dance, music, and theatre performances, culminating with the
finale by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra’s celebrated Srjan ensemble. This year, Srjan will present
the coveted Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award to veterans Smt. Madhavi Mudgal,
distinguished Odissi Guru and Padma Shri awardee and ShriAlekh Chandra Samal, eminent
Odissi vocalist and music educator for their lifetime achievement and immense contribution
to the Arts, while the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Yuva PratibhaSamman 2025 for artistes
under the age of 40 years will be bestowed upon Smt. ShatabdiMallick for Odissi dance and
ShriMuralidhar Swain for Odissi music. In a new introduction this year, the Guru
KelucharanMohapatra Kala Samman 2025 to artistes between 40–55 years of age, will be awarded to ShriRaghunath Das and ShriArnabBandyopadhyayrecognising their notable
contributions to the Odissi fraternity.

On the final evening, after the Award Ceremony, the Srjan ensemble will premiere Guru
RatikantMohapatra’s innovative choreographic production, Duryodhana. This work portrays
the titular character not as the archetypal villain of popular discourse, but rather as a tragic
hero of noble bearing, whose virtues of generosity, valour, and unwavering devotion were
ultimately vanquished by an overpowering ego that served as the very instrument of his
undoing.

Srjanhas benefited from valuable institutional collaboration with Sri Sri University (SSU).
The 31st GKCM Award Festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Government of
India, and the Department of Odia Literature Language and Culture, Government of Odisha.
The festival has benefited greatly from the CSR initiatives of MGM Minerals Ltd., Crown
Worldwide Group, and Shalimar’s® Shalimar Chemical Works Pvt. Ltd., Odisha Mining
Corporation Limited (OMC), and Ruchi™ Foodline. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
is the Silver Sponsor for the Award Festival. Other festival sponsors include National
Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), Shalimar’s Coconut Oil, State Bank of India (SBI),
Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys Limited (IMFA), Paradeep Phosphates Limited (PPL),
Priyadarshini, and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL). The Royale Midtown Hotel is their
hospitality partner, while Dharitri and Orissa Post, along with Narthaki.com, are the media
partners and web partner respectively. The artistes of the festival were aided by the brilliant
light designing of Shri Debiprasad Mishra and ShriDhilip Kumar, and the meticulous sound
engineering of Shri C. Anand Krishna and Shri Bharath Krishna. The entire festival was
curated, conceptualized, and designed by Guru RatikantMohapatra, with the impeccable
programme execution by Shri Debiprasad Mishra. Shri Mrutyunjaya Rath ably and
seamlessly conducted the proceedings of the evening.