For the first time, New Town will be a venue of the theatre fair organised by the Paschimbanga Natya Akademi.
Rabindra Tirtha will stage nine plays as part of the 21st edition of Natya Mela that starts on Friday.
“Some years ago, we had got Nazrul Tirtha included in the Kolkata International Film Festival itinerary by requesting the chief minister. This time, we sent a letter to the department with the proposal,” said Hidco managing director Debashis Sen.
The announcement that the proposal had been accepted was made by minister and theatre personality Bratya Basu and Natya Akademi chairman Debshankar Halder at Rabindra Tirtha on February 26 before a play staged by Snehodiya residents and Swapna Bhor members.
“Whenever I have attended cultural performances or performed myself in New Town I have sensed how deeply residents cherish Bengali culture. This year, when Natya Mela is not travelling to the districts due to the pandemic, it made sense to reach out to the eastern part of the city by including a venue here. This will help residents who are unable to travel to the six other venues,” said Halder.
The festival will be on from March 11 to 17, with daily shows from 6.30pm. There are two plays on Sunday, starting at 3pm. Entry is free on first come first served basis.
Sen said the three electric buses of Hidco will be pressed into service to help the audience.