'Laila Majnu', 'Taj Mahal Ka Tender' among plays staged at NSD's 'Rang Shasthi' festival

New Delhi: "Laila Majnu" by Padma Shri awardee Ram Gopal Bajaj and "Taj Mahal Ka Tender" by National School of Drama (NSD) director Chittaranjan Tripathy were among the several plays staged here at the ongoing 'Rang Shasthi' festival.

The festival, currently underway at NSD's Abhimanch auditorium, is a celebratory series marking the 60th anniversary of the NSD Repertory Company.

While "Laila-Majnu" is staged with the conventional poetry of love and the pain of separation between Qays and Laila; "Taj Mahal ka Tender" explores what would happen if Mughal emperor Shah Jahan were to build the Taj Mahal for his beloved queen in the present times.

"Taj Mahal ka Tender", a humorous take on India's bureaucracy, which opened to audiences on Friday and will run till Sunday. It also commemorates 25 years of the satirical play on the ocassion.

"'Rang Shasthi' is a testament to the enduring legacy of the NSD Repertory Company and its unwavering commitment to the dramatic arts. The festival aims to strengthen bonds between theatre schools and promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of the performing arts," said the organisers in a statement.

Other plays which featured during the festival included the likes of "Samudramanthan", "Andha Yug", "Bayen", "Babuji", "Abhigyan Shakuntalam", "Band Gali Ka Aakhri Makaan" and "Maeri Main Ka Se Kahu".

'Rang Shasthi' marks the beginning of a two-year global tour of the Repertory Company.