Sengupta laments childrens' exposure to torture on mass

Kolkata, Jun 3 (UNI) Noted theatre personality Rudraprasad Sengupta has expressed deep concern over children being exposed to horror and torture through the different forms of mass media and hoped that the medium of drama will encourage fruitful and creative thinking among the youth.

Speaking at the Fourth National Children's Theatre Fest, Kolkata, organised by ''Eso Natak Shikhi'' here last night, Mr Sengupta said he was aghast at the state of 'perpetual present' that the children are living in and wishes to see 'tomorrow's future' acquire a brighter vision through the medium of drama.

In this three-day event, three dramas were enacted, among which the very first one was by a troupe from the UK 'The Flying Gorillas'.

Besides The Flying Gorillas, a troupe from Bangladesh has also been invited to participate in this year's Children's Drama Fest.

In their drama 'Rocket Frog', The Flying Gorillas depicted their ideas in the form of music and a language that is understood by one and all - gibberish, which however conveys very efficiently the idea.

''Through our drama we tried to portray ''Life as a Carnival'', where there is music, broken by intermitent noise, which gives life its meaning,'' said The Flying Gorillas Artistic Director Susana Garcia.

''Music and more music, fun and comedy, joy of working with children and working with the inert power of music is what we deal with,'' said the troupe's Music Director Nigel Warrack, while adding that they do not have any specific story line like Indian drama.

This troupe from the UK had previously performed in Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the beginning of this century and in other countries such as Germany, Australia, Indonesia, Ireland, Poland, Finland and Argentina.

In this Festival, which will be ending on June 4, participants have also come from other states - Kerala, Orissa, Mizoram, Jharkhand, AP, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar, among others.

Other drama personalities present on the occasion were Paschimbanga Natya Academy Member Secretary Sukanta Roy, Shib Sharma, Subhankar Ray, Justice P N Bhaduri and president and director of Eso Natak Sikhi Tapas Das.

UNI