Jashnebachpan 2018: A fest where kids rule the stage

Henna Rakheja

If you happen to walk past the National School of Drama, in central Delhi, the institution may give the impression of having suddenly become a family hangout — you’ll find a number of children and their parents (or guardians) milling around the front gate or just inside the campus. What’s all this excitement? It’s the children’s theatre festival, Jashnebachpan 2018, on till next Sunday.

In its 14th edition this year, the festival has brought together 24 theatre groups from across the country and the world. The list includes three from Switzerland, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka.

The children are very excited, meeting each other and learning from peer performances. Eleven-yearold Dhanishtha Saikia is thrilled about going on the stage for the Assamese play Moi Tuniye Tun Tunalo. She says, “My brother (Jayaditya, seven years old) and I are so excited to perform in this festival. Our play has been selected from lots of entries that had come from all over India. And, while here, I’m enjoying rehearsing for the play, and making friends.” What: Jashnebachpan 2018, a children’s theatre festival

Where: National School of Drama, Bahawalpur House On till: November 25 Timing: 3.30pm-7pm Nearest Metro Station: Mandi House on Blue Line

The subjects of the plays being staged at this festival are varied. “There are a lot of interesting themes that the practitioners of children’s theatre are exploring this year. These include topics that are close to a child’s world, such as friendship, separation, boredom of education, greed in human society, and even gender discrimination. These themes are relevant for not just kids, but adults, too,” says Abdul Latif Khatana, chief, theatre-in-education, NSD.

He adds that this year, there will be seminars on children’s theatre on November 23 and 24. The discussions in these seminars will focus on what has been achieved in children’s theatre and what’s still left unexplored.