Minister of Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat addresses the audience at BRICS Theatre Festival’s opening ceremony
“A mother’s grief is recognisable across languages, the courage to confront injustice resonates across political systems, and the vulnerability of love speaks to something universal in the human experience,” Singh said. There can’t be a better way to express that than through theatre,” said Vivek Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, explaining the thinking behind the festival’s theme, Shared Stories, Shared Futures. Agarwal said the organisers “wanted the access to be democratised,” which is why they began selling passes 20 days before the opening day, adding that the shows were already housefull. “Culture creates connections that transcend political boundaries,” he said, adding that shared experiences of theatre could foster understanding and trust.
The stage was set, speeches followed and a lamp was lit to mark the opening of the festival, but the main idea of the event was what theatre could convey beyond words. “We may not understand every word spoken on the stage, yet we can understand every gesture. “We have had a shared past, shared present. For Gajendra Singh, the gathering was about more than just the arts.
Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh ‘s comment before beginning his address to the audience at the BRICS theatre festival on Monday at the National School of Drama (NSD) drew chuckles from the crowd.
