Pune: Ekti Natya Shondha presents Kobi Kahini on 3 August 2025
Pune: Ekti Natya Shondha presents Kobi Kahini on 3 August 2025
Nandanik Sanstha presents 7th Edition of Ekti Natya Shondha
Pune, July 30, 2025: Nandanik Sanstha is delighted to present the 7th Edition of Ekti Natya Shondha (An Evening of Drama) on Sunday, August 3rd, 2025, at Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe Rangmandir, in Yerawada. This year the genre selected by Nandanik for their flagship event ‘Ekti Natya Shondha’ (ENS) is ‘satire’. Nandanik Sanstha artistes are very excited to stage ‘Kobi Kahini’ by Badal Sircar, this year. Late Badal Sircar is an influential Indian dramatist and theatre director and mostly popular for his anti-establishment plays in the 1970’s. His contribution to Bengali theatre is immense and needs to be celebrated time and again. This play is a satirical comedy drama, that is based on political opportunism and societal hypocrisy during elections. The story and script will captivate the audience keeping them hooked till the end. The script has been adapted and directed by Nandanik Sanstha’s very own playwright and theatre stalwart – Charubrata Ray, to suit the audience’s interest.
Nandanik Sanstha is a social and cultural organisation that encourages Bengali culture and art forms in different formats; drama and theatre being the most popular amongst them. Sandip Mukherjee – President, Nandanik Sanstha, said, “It gives me immense delight to invite all Bengali theatre enthusiasts across Pune to our flagship drama/theatre initiative called Ekti Natya Shondha. We take enormous pride in hosting the 7th Edition of our drama evening this year and the journey so far has been extremely exhilarating for Nandanik”. Mukherjee further added that, “Drama and theatre have always been an essential and prominent part of both Bengali and Marathi cultures. In fact, this form of art has been instrumental in creating awareness, movements and also in galvanising reforms. Our aim with organizing Ekti Natya Shondha has always been to pay tribute to this art form and provide an evening for all art and theatre lovers across the city, to converge and relish.”
The play ‘Kobi Kahini’ by Badal Sircar, is a satirical comedy that uses humour to critique the political landscape and societal norms, particularly during election campaigns. The play follows the character Manibhushan’s absurd attempts to win an Assembly seat, exposing the manipulative tactics used in the pursuit of power.
Sudhindra Sarkar famously known as Badal Sircar used contemporary situations and social problems to project the life- in-death attitude of modern life. Sircar is a pioneering figure in street theatre as well as in experimental and contemporary Bengali theatre, with his egalitarian “Third Theatre”. Today, his rise as a prominent playwright from 1960s is seen as the coming of age of Modern Indian playwriting in Bengali, just as Vijay Tendulkar did it in Marathi, Mohan Rakesh in Hindi, and Girish Karnad in Kannada.
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1968 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship – the highest honour in the performing arts, by Govt. of India, in 1997.
Donation passes for Kobi Kahini are available on BookMyShow. Please be there to witness Badal Sircar’s exciting and unforgettable play – Kobi Kahini.
