Jairangam theatre festival reopens on Dec 17

After being forced to go online on account of the corona virus pandemic, Jairangam theatre festival lost one of its own — founder Deepak Gera who was about to see it into its tenth edition. Gera, who succumbed to COVID during its second wave, had put his heart and soul into the festival. From a humble office in Jaipur’s Janta Colony, Gera would plan a global-level fest to the minutest of detail, leaving no room for error. But once he was gone, who would steer the festival ahead? The Jairangam theatre family decided to come together and, as a tribute to its founder, continue with the festival. Thus, the tenth edition of the festival returns on ground this year, with the tagline ‘the show must go on,’ in fond memory of its founder.  

The festival, which will run from December 17 to 19, will open with Makrand Deshpande’s play Ram at Jawahar Kala Kendra in Jaipur. V Balakrishnan’s Margazhi will also be broadcast online for the festival’s audiences. The three-day festival will feature a mix of online and offline events including five plays, morning raga performances, panel discussions and master classes. On the following days, theatre performances When Things Fall Apart, Soul and Railgaadi Kaison Sundar will be staged online.

In 2020, Jairangam had hosted its first digital festival that saw a participation of over 800 artistes from the world over plays, panel discussions, workshops and cultural performances. This year’s festival is on an invite-only basis for offline events.