Hyderabad’s Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival returns for its 21st edition, bringing together performers, filmmakers and theatre practitioners from across India for a 10-day programme celebrating stage and screen. The festival, which has hosted prominent names from the world of theatre over the past two decades, is curated by theatre personality Mohammad Ali Baig.
This year’s line-up includes actors and artists such as Rakesh Bedi, Raghubir Yadav, Shrivardhan Trivedi, Jabbar Patel, Mohan Agashe, Deepti Naval, Goutam Ghose, Masood Akhtar and Roshini Achreja. The programme also features works associated with late actors Nana Patekar and Smita Patil.
Among the productions are Rakesh Bedi’s performance in Vijay Tendulkar’s Massage, and Raghubir Yadav’s appearance in Piano, an adaptation of Ferenc Karinthy’s play Steinway Grand. Kotla Hanumatha Rao will present Eruka. Filmmaker Goutam Ghose’s Yatra, featuring Rekha and Deepti Naval, is included as a tribute to Nana Patekar. Jabbar Patel’s presentation of the Marathi award-winning film Jait Re Jait, featuring Mohan Agashe, recalls the work of Smita Patil.
The festival also pays tribute to Hindustani theatre doyen Qadir Ali Baig. Master classes by Jabbar Patel and Raghubir Yadav, alongside workshops on the language of light and theatre for children, form part of the programme. The workshops will be led by Daulat Vaid with Raghav Prakash Mishra and Divyang Shrivastava, and by Ranjana Srivastava.
Over the years, the festival has been staged at several heritage locations in Hyderabad, including Taramati Baradari, Falaknuma Palace, Golconda Fort, Salar Jung Museum and Chowmahalla Palace. Its format combines performances at historic venues with traditional Hyderabadi chowki dinners hosted at the Baig family haveli.
The festival was also conducted live during the pandemic, with safety protocols in place, according to the organisers. Theatre and cinema personality Sai Paranjpye has described it as a “living museum” of India’s performing arts.
With its mix of theatre, cinema, workshops and heritage settings, the Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival remains a distinctive fixture on Hyderabad’s cultural calendar.
GAWAH News Desk
