Peace of Manto

The narrator's voice reverbrates on stage as a host of actors take their positions. From here on, the tales of love, longing and land slowly enfold, as Saadat Hasan Manto's short stories come to life during a rehearsal taking place at Atelier Studio in Mukherjee Nagar. Directed by Kuljit Singh, this performance titled Mantorang, will be presented by the Atelier Theatre Company as a part of the ACT Festival 2012 that will be held in the Capital.

In its sixth year, the 16-day festival will present a melange of plays, street plays and other performances. Singh, who is an assistant professor at the Department of English, University of Delhi, apart from being the festival director, has roped in a cast of 43 actors who will play 68 different roles. "The play is based on eight of Manto's short stories. We have tried and incorporated some of his little-known stories as well. These include Ishq Par Zor Nahin and Gurmukh Singh Ki Batiyan," says Singh.

The two-and-a-half-hour play will be a mix of music, lights, performance and transition from one story to another with the help of a common narrative. Among other performances, there is also a musical talk by actor, composer and songwriter Piyush Mishra, which will be held on November 6.

ACT Festival 2012 will be from October 28 to November 12. Contact: 9891092386

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