The 12-day long Kodai Nataka Vizha of Kartik Fine Arts (KFA) began at Narada Gana Sabha in Chennai on Monday.
Inaugurating the 33rd annual festival, which will showcase 12 new social stage plays by various theatre troupes, E.S.L. Narasimhan, former Governor of Telengana, appreciated KFA for encouraging troupes, including ones led by Kathadi Ramamurthi, Y. Gee. Mahendra, and T.V. Varadharajan.
Ramkumar Ganesan, Managing Director, Sivaji Productions, said drama had been in existence for over 2,000 years and urged KFA to continue patronising promising theatre groups. He added that his family would institute an award at KFA’s Nataka Vizha for excellence in writing-direction in the name of late actor Sivaji Ganesan. Srikanth, KFA president, said the drama festival, which would feature plays by troupes including Dummies Drama, Koothapiran Navabharath, Gurukulam Original Boys Co., Legally Yours, and Komal Theatre, would conclude on May 3.