The National School of Drama (NSD), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, recently hosted the Meghalaya chapter of the 25th Bharat Rang Mahotsav (BRM) 2026 at the District Library Auditorium in Tura. The festival, regarded as the world’s largest international theatre event, brought together theatre practitioners and audiences in a celebration of stagecraft and cultural dialogue. The programme was attended by Bernard N. Marak, Member of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council, as Chief Guest, and Prof. Sujata Gurudev, Pro Vice Chancellor of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Tura Campus, as Guest of Honour.
In a message to theatre lovers, NSD Director Chittaranjan Tripathy highlighted Meghalaya’s strong theatrical tradition and its role in nurturing art and culture. Referring to the theme of BRM 2026, “Samvad Sanskritiyon Ka,” he said the festival aims to foster dialogue among cultures. He noted that this year’s edition features several underrepresented languages and dialects to make theatre more inclusive, adding that the Tura chapter is a significant contribution to that effort.
The Tura edition featured two productions on February 17. The first, Ku’bilbat Muni (Nightmare of Using Mobile Phone of Children), a devised play in the Garo language written and directed by Balsrame A. Sangma and presented by A-Chik Theatre, addressed the contemporary issue of excess mobile phones use among children through a socially relevant narrative.
