Adingiri festival defies rain to celebrate Assam theatre

Abhigyanm’s sixth Adingiri Rashtriya Natya Utsav triumphed over stormy weather, drawing theatre lovers to Adingiri Hills for three days from March 13. The Natyakhetra buzzed with plays, talks, and awards that bridged folk traditions and fresh drama.

Kalaripayattu kicked off proceedings with Dhruvajyoti Spandan at the helm. Groups delivered seven sharp productions: Monimala Das’s Kordoi Xiriya Paharor Sadhu (Dengorali Creators Hub), Ranhang Choudhury’s A Stupid Common Man (Abhigyanm, Guwahati), Abhik Bhattacharya’s Agdum Bagdum (Family Performance Troupe, Kolkata), Himangshu Prasad Das’s A BPL Love Story (Guernica, Mirza), Arpan Chakraborty’s Tamasa: The Darkening Light (August Theatre, Kolkata), and Mukul Idipase’s Jolti Burhir Jolfai (Sunag, Nalbari).

Masterclasses by Raju Roy, Papori Medhi, Maharshi Tuhin Kashyap, and others unpacked acting, media, and performance craft.

Folk stars shone in awards: Bhabananda Das took the Late Barnali Choudhury Lok Shilpi Sadhana Award 2025 for Thiya Naam recitation, while Giren Kalita claimed the 2026 prize for Khol mastery. Naren Patgiri earned the Late Debabrata Choudhury Natya Byaktitwa Award 2025; Anup Hazarika got the 2026.

Set against green hills, the event cemented its spot as Assam’s key theatre platform.