IMPHAL, July 8: Renowned playwright and Shumang Leela critic Narendra Ningomba urged the Shumang Leela Council today to lead the new crop of emerging Shumang Leela artistes of the state to the real roots of the great folk theatre form and help in reviving its original form.
He was speaking at the closing function of a one month theatre Training on Shumang Leela tradition at the Iboyaima Shumang Leela Shanglen, Palace Compound this evening.
Coming to the evolution of the Shumang Leela in the state, the Shumang Leela activist said that the folk theatre had seen a major diversion from its original form in the 80’s, and added that it should be considered as a loss to the great art form of the state. As such the council should inform the young artistes of the state on the history of the Shumang Leela, he added.
Coming back to his initial days in the field, he said, he joined theartre as an artist in 1973.
While lauding the Shumang Leela Council for organizing the training for the upcoming artists, he said a training centre was hard to find in his days as an artiste.
In the earlier times, there was no Shumang Leela Shanglen. However considering the interest of the new budding artistes of the state, he and some colleagues used to rent the State Guest House and organized training programmes for them.
The one month long training programme was jointly organized by the Manipur State Shumang Leela Council and Theatre Mirror, Imphal under the aegis of the National Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi.
Today’s closing function was attended by Adakshya, Imphal East P Bimola Devi, secretary Zenith Academy Sangaiprou S Manaoton, Manipur State Shumang Leela Council president, Ph Gunachandra Sharma, Shuang Leela Activist and Critic Narendra Ningomba and Theatre Critic and Playwright Budha Chingtham as chief guest, special guest, president and guest of honour respectively.
The training was conducted with Wareppam Naba as Project Director, Sougrakpam Hemanta as Camp Director with L Tomba and Sh Devan Sharma as Co ordinator.
Narendra Ningomba, Ksh Jugindro, Ksh Birjit and Dr Makhonmani Mongsaba also interacted with the trainees as resource person during the training.
At the start of the training there were 52 trainees however by the end of the training only 35 had remained.
The trainees of the programme also conducted a play titled ‘Laileibakta Koireng Thambal’ directed by Warekpam Naba.
Other highlights of the function include Lai Haraoba dance performances and several other cultural showpieces, choreography on modern songs perform by a young trainee.
