Theatre Festival organized by Three Arts Club at Shri Ram Centre a grand success

Press Release

• Revival of Three Arts Club promises to promote amateurs and Hindustani drama in the city.
  
• Galaxy of eminent theatre personalities wish the club all the best.
  
• Annual ‘Ramesh Mehta Rangmanch Puruskar’ instituted.

New Delhi, May 13, 2008: Curtains went down on the three day theatre festival organized by Three Arts Club which tribute to all artists and members associated with the club here in the capital today. On the occasion of the 25^th Death Anniversary of founder member Shri R. M. Kaul the Three Arts Club stepped on the stage with Ramesh Mehta’s Bade Aadmi after a span of almost a quarter of a century. The play which is a satire on our ‘modern society’ is a story of a family which tries to adopt western culture and lifestyle in order to impress others. Dr. Sadhna Bhatnagar, veteran actress with the Three Arts Club directed this play, majority of the cast of which had ever stepped afoot on stage.

A ‘Ramesh Mehta Rangmanch Puruskar’ for contribution to the field of theatre has been instituted with the help of Shri D. C. Pandey, I. G. Police, Lucknow. A shawl and Rs. 11,000 will be presented to a talented and promoting amateur artist annually.

With this the Three Arts Club is being revived after 25 years by Smt. Anuradha Dar, the daughter of founder member with the help of Shri Ramesh Mehta, Dr. Sadhna Bhatnagar and Shri D.C. Pandey, I.G. Police, Lucknow. The club will continue to work for the promotion of Art and Culture through the medium of music, dance and drama, in particular, Hindustani Drama so that this fine art does not die due to the ravages of the hectic pace of life.

Earlier, on May 11, the theatre festival was inaugurated by reputed writer, actress, director and playwright Ms. Sohaila Kapur. Manchkriti, a theatre group based in Lucknow performed Chaya Mitra’s play adapted by Ramesh Mehta titled ‘Paisa Bolta Hai’, directed by D. C. Pandey/ Gopal Sinha to a full house. Dr. Anuradha Kapur, director National School of Drama and daughter of Late Shri M. N. Kapur, President, Three Arts Club was the chief guest for the second day when Akansha Theatre Arts staged Ramesh Mehta’s popular ‘Under Secretary’, directed by Mr. Puneet Asthana.

The Three Arts Club was an amateur theatre group that was founded in 1943, enthralled and entertained audiences in the capital city of the country for 40 years and is credited with having established the culture of drama in the capital city of the country. Luminaries such as Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Dr. Zakir Hussain, Shri Charan Singh, amongst others, graced its plays. The Club also has the distinction of being the first ones to give a platform to women on the Delhi stage.