Actors in rewind mode at NSD Theatre Olympics’ ceremony

On Saturday, the National School of Drama hosted the closing ceremony of Advitiya, as part of the eighth edition of its Theatre Olympics. Around 250 students from DU – who took part in the various stage and street play productions during the 43-day long celebration – attended the closing ceremony.
Renowned actor, lyricist and NSD alumnus Swanand Kirkire was the chief guest at the event, while actors Adil Hussain and Pankaj Tripathi – both alumni of NSD – and Rasika Dugal, an alumna of FTII, were invited as the guests of honour at the event. Sujata Prasad, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Culture, and ML Srivastava, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture also attended the ceremony, where the students and the alumni of the institute presented a cultural programme.
Waman Kendre, Director of NSD with Swanand Kirkire, who was the chief guest at the event
I should have applied to NSD: Rasika Dugal
Rasika Dugal, an LSR graduate who later joined FTII, said that she always wanted to join NSD, but never believed she would be selected. “When I used to study at LSR, NSD was a place jahan aap tab hi aa sakte thay jab aap bahut talented ho. When I completed my graduation, I wanted to apply to NSD par himmat hi nahi huyi. Mujhe laga mujhe toh nahi lenge yeh log. But now, when I meet all these talented people from NSD in Mumbai, tab main sochti hoon ek baar application daal hi dena chahiye tha. So thank you NSD for inviting me here and giving respect to all the work I have done,” she said.
Pankaj Tripathi, who was welcomed with a loud cheer from the audience, added, “I don’t know how to do this since we are usually given lines by someone else. I am feeling this because after ten years, I have come to a place where I studied. All those who are sitting here today are either actors, actresses, writers or are connected to art in some way or the other. Main humesha poochta tha ki samaj mein kala aur kalakar ki kya zarurat hai? Phir maine yeh khud hi socha ki hum khaane mein kehte hain ki humein nutritious cheezein khani chahiye, health ke liye achha hota hai. Aise hi kala samaj ka nutrition hai. Hum doctor nahi hai, ek marte insan ko hum nahi bacha sakte hain par ek marte samaj ko hum bacha sakte hain.”
Adil Hussain
Whatever I am today is because of theatre: Swanand Kirkire
After Pankaj, it was Adil’s turn to address the gathering. “Theatre Olympics should not happen once in 20 years, they should happen every year. As Pankaj said, ‘The job of art is to save the soul of the society.’ I thought that I am a selfish actor. Maza aata hai, acting karta hoon, khata hoon. But one day my wife asked me, ‘What is your contribution to society?’ So I started reading, and Sri Aurobindo has written this in a book called The National Importance of Art. My experience says that whether it is an actor, singer or a painter, the work that he/ she does, represents millions of hearts together. It means that if I have a view about a truth, and if Pankaj and Swanand ji have opposite views about it, once we see a play or a painting or listen to a song together, we have a common ground. We come from different places, par agar humara dil ek jagah aake milta hai and agar hum apne differences khatam karte hain, toh woh ek sabse bada gift hota hai samaj ke liye. Mera NSD mein punar janam hua hai.”
Swanand said, “It feels like a circle has been completed. Aap issi manch pe baithke chai peete thay, duniya bahut badal gayi hai, Metro nikal chuki hai yahan se. Waman sir is here and I had started writing songs with his plays. We did a play together called Ladi Nazariya, and he asked me to write a song for it. Likh diya aur zindagi ki shuruaat ho gayi. Whatever I am today is because I am from theatre. Natak nahi hota toh main gaana nahi likhta, natak nahi hota toh main gaana nahi gaata.”
Rasika Dugal
Pankaj Tripathi
ML Srivastava, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Sujata Prasad, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Culture
NSD student performs Bharatanatyam as part of the cultural programme
NSD student performs Bharatanatyam
NSD students perform Lavani at the event
A NSD student, dressed as a woman, performed at the event
Decorations at the NSD campus
Lighting it up!