‘Comedy Drama Festival’ in Jammu and Kashmir

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Filmmakers and Artists Co-operative Limited (JKFMAC) is organizing a ten-day ‘Comedy Drama Festival’ in the valley.

The aim of the festival, which began on Saturday, is to bring back the “literary atmosphere of the 1970s and 1980s”. “It is a very pleasant event to see a comedy humourous theatre festival being organized here. Our aim is that people should come and watch different plays to be staged here for 10 days. There used to be a literary atmosphere in this valley during the 1970s and 1980s when theatre was on a good level,” said Ashok Jail Khani, Additional Director General of Doordarshan. “Kashmir’s theatre had reached greater heights during that time, but since past 15-20 years the theatre has seen a downfall, but I personally know that there is no lack of talent in Kashmir,” he added. Theatre is considered a backbone of Jammu and Kashmir’s culture and tradition, but due to the ongoing conflict and militant activities it has seen a downfall in the past 20 years. Mehraj-ud-Din, a theatre artist, said that through his performances he wanted the youth of the Kashmir valley to forget their tension for a while and enjoy the plays. “I want to entertain my audience, give them a relief for sometime and at the same time I want to give some message to the people who are being faced by the public. The youths, women and children of this province are in depression. The youths which are highly talented I want to create a platform for them,” Mehraj-ud-Din said. Ayash Arif, a director, praised the initiative taken by the JKFMAC saying that it would help in revival of theatre culture in the province. “This is a very good initiative by the Jammu and Kashmir Filmmakers and Artists Co-operative Limited. We are also participating in this festival. I am directing a play written by Yusuf Shaheen- Bhuwanapose (I will speak the truth), which is a situational play, based on the life of today’s youth. This is a very good initiative for the revival of this theatre,” Arif said. The ten-day festival will end on July 4. ANI