Vikram Ditya Sharma/Ferozepur
The Punjabi theatre competition organised by the Language Department, Punjab, after a gap of several years, witnessed impressive performances by students from five districts at DCM International School, Ferozepur City.
The play ‘Mitti Da Bawa’, staged by Government Senior Secondary School (Boys), Abohar, bagged the first position, while Deepak Kamboj, its director, was adjudged the Best Director. ‘Ghar Gumm Hai’ by Government Senior Secondary School, Thatta Kishan Singh, secured the second position, while ‘Apna Apna Hissa’ by SS Public School, Kassuana, stood third.
The zonal-level competition, organised under the guidance of Director, Language Department, Punjab, Jaswant Singh Zafar, and supervision of District Language Officer, Ferozepur, Dr Jagdeep Sandhu, was held with the support of DCM Group of Schools. The zone comprised Ferozepur, Fazilka, Faridkot, Tarn Taran and Moga districts.
The winning play, ‘Mitti Da Bawa’, sensitively portrayed the shared cultural bonds and human emotions of soldiers of two countries deployed on either side of the international border. ‘Ghar Gumm Hai’ highlighted the subtle and invisible exploitation of daughters within their own homes, while ‘Apna Apna Hissa’ depicted tensions and divisions in blood relations arising from economic considerations.
Armandeep Kaur, a member of the team that presented ‘Minus Zero Zero Zero Zero Zero’, was adjudged the Best Actress. Consolation prizes were awarded to the team of Government Senior Secondary School, Faridkot, for the same play, Gurshan Singh, an actor in ‘Apna Apna Hissa’, and Malvika, an actress in ‘Sirjana’.
The performances of ‘Sirjana’ by CBCC Senior Secondary Smart School and ‘Parat Aaun Tak’ by DD BDB DAV Public School, Ferozepur Cantonment, were also appreciated. The performances were evaluated by experienced theatre personalities Dr Harpreet Singh, Amit Kumar and Rang Harjinder.
CEO of DCM Group of Schools, Dr Anirudh Gupta, who attended the event as the chief guest, lauded the Language Department for reviving the theatre competitions after several years. He said involving school students in such artistic activities under the guidance of the government was a significant achievement. Appreciating the high artistic standard of the performances, he said consistent hard work, sincerity and commitment were essential to achieve such standards. He assured that the DCM management and its institutions would continue to support such meaningful initiatives.
Noted personalities from the field of art in Ferozepur, including Gurnam Singh (Gama Sidhu), Gurinder Singh and Zaila Sandhu, attended as special guests and appreciated the initiative.
The newly published novel ‘Kis Hadd Tak’ by writer and artist Dr Satish Thukral Sony was also released during the event. His engaging and distinctive style of stage anchoring added to the proceedings.
Winners of the Punjabi literary creation and poetry singing competitions organised by the District Language Office, Ferozepur, were also awarded certificates.
District Language Officer, Moga, Dr Ajitpal Jatana, thanked the guests and participating teams, particularly Dr Anirudh Gupta and his team, for their support in successfully organising the event.
