Get ready for a heady dose of theatre with the national school of drama's student productions that deal with everything from illegal mining to problems faced by Muslim women

Every Friday, you get something new at the screen near you, but for a dose of good old theatre, you still have to wait till someone comes out with good productions. So if you are among those who values some good stagework, then here's a treat for you. the National School of Drama (NSD) is once again back with its theatre
festival that will showcase six student productions in six days.



Getting into their minds
There is Mirage, Zero One, Tota Bola, Ferrous, Jannat Mahal and Papa Laden. "Delhi is a diverse city and so is our institution. We have students coming from all parts of the country and learning theatre with us. They study with us for almost three years and after that demonstrate what they have learnt," says Paray Sharma, production manager.
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Shadow effect
The plays are based on varied topics. There is Zero One, an interactive performance where there would be games where the audience can participate. However, it is not all about games and deals with the controversial subject of illegal mining in Goa. Paringanba Loitongbam, is trying his hands at theatre for the first time. His production, Mirage, is based onu00a0 Kalidas' Ritusamhara. "I always wanted to do Kalidas samroh. This is about the hope and despair of today's youth. Everything that happens in real life is virtual, it's all a mirage," he says.

Heavenly feast
Another play Jannat Mahal talks about the problems faced by Muslim women. The director Sahna says: "I am a Muslim myself, so I understand the complexities of the subject. I have seen my relatives and friends going through the troubles that I am portraying in the play." The play is based on widow marriages. It deals with a woman who is forced to marry her husband's brother post his demise. It depicts how she is bound by rules and not allowed to take her own decisions.