Andhra Pradesh will revive the Nandi Theatre Festival in Tenali in January, with Kandukuri awards on January 10, a week-long theatre showcase and expanded recognition for theatre artists.
Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government will revive the Nandi Theatre Festival in January, with Tenali in Guntur district set to host the celebrations, State Tourism, Culture and Cinematography Minister Kandula Durgesh announced on Friday.
Addressing a media conference at the Publicity Cell of the Velagapudi Secretariat, the Minister said the government was taking steps to restore the prominence of Telugu theatre and culture and provide greater recognition and opportunities to theatre artists.
He said the Nandi Theatre Festival would begin with the presentation of the prestigious Kandukuri Awards on January 10, followed by a week-long presentation of selected plays and a grand awards ceremony.
Durgesh said the notification inviting entries for the Nandi Theatre Festival would be released within the next two to three days.
A selection committee would be constituted in October, while the preliminary list of selected plays would be announced in December.
The Minister said plays would be evaluated transparently through video submissions, following a process similar to the approach adopted by the National School of Drama (NSD).
For the first time, theatre groups from other States performing in Telugu would also be eligible to participate, he said.
The government has increased the number of Kandukuri prestigious awards from three to five. Each award recipient will receive a cash prize of ₹1 lakh.
The awards will carry the names of eminent personalities associated with Telugu theatre, including Sthanam Narasimha Rao, Acharya Atreya, Garikapati Raja Rao and Bandaru Rama Rao, among other theatre stalwarts.
Durgesh said the government would also confer Kandukuri Visishta Puraskaralu on 100 individuals and organisations.
The awards will be distributed based on the State's 28-district structure, with three recipients from each district and another 16 awards for those who have rendered special services to the theatre sector.
The categories will include Padya Natakam, social theatre, writers, technical experts and theatre organisations.
The Minister said the government had decided to distribute financial assistance more widely among theatre associations.
Instead of providing ₹5 lakh to each theatre parishad, the government would allocate ₹1 lakh per parishad, enabling a larger number of theatre groups and artists to benefit.
He said Kandukuri awards had already been presented to 100 individuals last year on April 16, observed as Telugu Theatre Day.
Durgesh said the Andhra Pradesh Film, Television and Theatre Development Corporation (FDC) had introduced a single-window system for permissions required by the film and theatre sectors.
The initiative is aimed at streamlining approvals and facilitating productions in the State, he said.
The Minister also announced that a notification relating to the Nandi Awards for the cinema and television sectors would be issued during the current week.
The government plans to complete the presentation of those awards by January, he said.
According to the Minister, Nandi Awards will be presented in several theatre categories, including:
Durgesh said the government was initiating several programmes through the FDC under the guidance of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan to provide recognition and institutional support to artists.
FDC Managing Director Viswanathan was also present at the media conference.
The government said the revival of the Nandi Theatre Festival is intended to provide a wider platform for theatre groups and artists while promoting Telugu theatre and cultural traditions.
