Utilise stage art for social awakening: Dy Speaker

“The present day generation has gone far away from traditional art forms and culture. It is time to make today’s youth realise the potential of the age old medium of stage art, which played a prominent role in eradicating social evils to a great extent by promoting awareness among rural masses,'' said deputy speaker Mandali Buddha Prasad on Friday.

Speaking at the inaugural session of a two-day national seminar being organised at the PB Siddhartha College of Arts and Science on ‘Social Drama in Telugu - Social Awakening’, he said that the government, which is keen on upholding the rich culture and heritage of the State, had proposed to set up a cultural university. “The government’s plan to include culture and traditional art forms in school curriculum were shelved after considerable research on it due to the State bifurcation. However, plans are afoot to include drama, painting, dance and music in school syllabus after making suitable amendments in the wake of bifurcation to promote arts in a big way in residual Andhra Pradesh,'' he said.

“Great writers like Gurajada Apparao and Chilakamarthi Lakshmi Narasimham strove to awaken the society ridden with superstitions through their plays in the olden days. The role of verse drama in promoting values in society cannot be ignored. Nataka Kala Parishads are still striving to uphold the tradition of verse drama by organising cultural competitions regularly to preserve it from extinction in the cyber era,” the deputy speaker said.

Film director and writer MS Chowdary exhorted students to show interest in art and culture without limiting their focus to academics.

“Everyone should utilise the opportunities that come in their way during their student life and unearth their creativity and talent for the well-being of society as it is still ridden with several evils. Art in any form is a good medium to spread social awareness among people,’’ he said.

Andhra Arts Academy secretary Golla Narayana Rao said, “Drama, which was a major source of entertainment for people before the advent of cinema and TV, played an important role in awakening the rural masses in the country and during the freedom movement. There is every need of reviving the glory of stage art by patronising it to promote social awareness among people.’’

Siddhartha Academy president Nalluri Venkateswarlu, director V Babu Rao, principal MVN Padma Rao and others spoke at the UGC sponsored national seminar. Kandimalla Sambasiva Rao of DRNSCVS College, Chilakaluripet, spoke on ‘Telugu Drama - Globalisation’. Asst prof. NV Krishna Rao of Acharya Nagarjuna University gave a lecture on ‘Telugu Drama and Social Awakening’. Asst. prof. N Sadasiva Reddy of Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur, reviewed the play ‘Kanyasulkam’, which highlighted the evils of child marriages and the dowry system in the olden days. Telugu scholars, teachers, lecturers and students of Telugu Department attended the seminar.