Monday, 11 March 2019

Additional Responsibility On My Shoulders After Receiving the “Padma Shri” : Prof. Waman Kendre




New Delhi, 11: ‘Though I am happy after receiving the prestigious National Civilian Award, the ‘Padma Shree’, I feel that this it has only increased my responsibility to strive for more such works to make the Nation proud of me, expressed the eminent Theatre personality and Former Director of National School of Drama, Prof. Shri Waman Kendre after receiving this award at the hands of the President, Shri Ramnath Kovind, today.
 
Prof. Kendre visited the office of Maharashtra Information Centre after receiving the prestigious “Padma Shri’ Award. The Deputy Director, Shri Dayanand Kamble welcomed him and presented a bouquet. The Public Relations Officer, Ms Amarjyot Kaur Arora, Sub-Editor Ritesh Bhuyar and the Deputy Director of Bihar Information Centre, Shri Lokesh Jha were also present on the occasion.
Expressing his views on the Award, he said, ‘I am happy receiving this prestigious award. However, I think that I will have to strive to write more such plays, placing them on the international platform. This would bring recognition to our Nation and many social, socio-political issues needing international attention will gather momentum and seek attention on the wider canvas. Adding further, he said, this recognition which he received today in the form of this Award is for his outstanding works done so far. However, much work remains to be done. Many more plays will have to be directed, for, this Award has instilled an additional responsibility on me towards the nation, which has to be paid back, informed Prof. Kendre. The fire of creativity should burn inside me continuously so that I aspire to work more and more, said Prof. Kendre. “Constant learning is the only way forward” he underlines.

Prof. Kendre is an alumnus of the prestigious National School of Drama. After completion of his performing Arts curriculum here, he went on to become the Director of National School of Drama and has been successfully leading his endeavor as an incharge.
 
Prof. Kendre has written and directed more than 80 plays and also directed stage dramas in Marathi, Hindi and English languages. His first Marathi Play, ‘Zulwa’ has been played more than 1500 times and is still doing the rounds. It is the play about girls who are offered to the goddess Yellamma in certain parts of Maharashtra. Prof. Kendre said, this production helped in giving a strong voice to a voiceless section of society. Some other productions he feels equally proud of include Nati-Goti (1989; based on the life of a differently-abled child and his family), Ranangan (1999; based on the battle of Panipat) and Jaaneman (2002; based on the tribulations of the hijra community) and Ghazab Teri Ada (2014; based on the after-effects of World War I).

His other notable productions include, Jannemann, Tempt Me Not, Nati Goti, Gadhe Ki Baraat, Ladi Nazariya, Ranangan, Dusra Samana (Marathi), Saiyyan Bhaye Kotwal, Ghazab Teri Ada, Laagi Lagan, Char Divas Premache and Rajdarshan.
 
Speaking on training and education, Prof. Kendre said both are equally important. Before joining the Mumbai University, he worked as a research associate at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) for more than nine years. He was always passionate and wanted to teach theatre to students in village small towns and metros and that’s how conducting of workshops began to nurture the talent. Many students from Maharashtra have attended these workshops and have carved a niche for themselves in the Art industry, he says with pride.

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