Rapid urbanisation to be showcased through folk traditions at Rang Mānd | Goa News

PANAJI: Drawing deeply from Goa’s indigenous performance traditions, including the ritualistic Perni Jagor, the Rang Mānd theatre festival this year will highlight the social cost of rapid urbanisation, examining how changing landscapes are reshaping community life in Goa.Coinciding with World Theatre Day 2026, the three-day festival will be held at the Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts, Altinho from March 27 to 29, marking a milestone 15-year collaboration with Abhivyaktee Panaji. The festival is open to all with prior registration, with performances scheduled each evening from 7 pm onwards.The festival opens on March 27 with Sindaborchi Kaani, a Konkani production inspired by Perani Jagor, one of Goa’s oldest theatrical traditions. Written by noted folklorist and Padma Shri awardee, Vinayak Khedekar and directed by Saish Deshpande, the play blends traditional performance elements with contemporary concerns.“All Goan folk theatre forms have always been a platform for social commentary. While the format of direction is that of a Perani Jagor using colourful masks, we have highlighted how we are losing our connect with Mother Earth. Sindabor is a fictional place where its citizens prioritize bigger homes and expensive pleasures and in the process of funding their lifestyle, they sell their ancestral land. In a way, we are also wearing metaphorical masks by letting this happen,” Deshpande told TOI.Day two, March 28 shifts tone with Eggsistential Cracksis, a multilingual solo performance by Asavari Gurav that delves into themes of identity, queer love, and artistic self-discovery.The closing evening on March 29 features the play ‘AEIOQ++’ with a performance by Antara Bhide and Smriti Rashmi Parhi, directed by Daksha Shirodkar. With poetry and personal narratives, the work navigates questions of gender, belonging, and language offering an intimate look at queer lived experiences.