A Tribute to THE LEGEND
The Flagship Festival
The annual Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival held in Hyderabad every year pays tribute to theatre legend late Qadir Ali Baig saheb. Now in its twelfth edition, the Festival features the who’s who of world theatre. One of the four most important theatre assemblies in the country, it is the largest theatre assembly in the subcontinent.
The 10-day, multi-venue, multi-lingual festival this year features a host of the best plays from across the country and overseas. Plays by Chekhov, Ibsen, Manto, Mahesh Dattani and others comprise the mesmerising line up of Hyderabad’s flagship theatre extravaganza that is curated by Padmashri recipient theatre revivalist Mohammad Ali Baig.
The Foundation
Reviving Quality Theatre - A Tribute to a Doyen
The period of vacuum and lull in Hyderabad’s theatre after Mirza Qadir Ali Baig’s demise was to be filled. In 2005, on the occasion of the 20th death anniversary of late Qadir Ali Baig saheb, the Ministry of I&PR, Government of Andhra Pradesh and Hyderabad’s arts and literary fraternity decided to start and name a theatre foundation in his memory as a tribute to the theatre icon. His wife, Begum Razia Baig was invited to Chair the Foundation and his son, advertising whiz Mohammad Ali Baig was chosen to spearhead the city’s revival movement. Thus was formed the Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation.
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With highly eminent theatre practitioners and performing artistes from different disciplines on its board like M.S. Sathyu, Javed Akhtar, Prof. Ram Gopal Bajaj, Vani Ganapathy, Suhasini Mani Ratnam, Kadir Zaman, and others, the Foundation was set up to revive theatre in the city. One might say forming the Foundation is an attempt at a déjà vu of the kind of theatre that Qadir Ali Baig saheb had achieved in presenting.
Mohammad Ali Baig
The Torchbearer
Theatre Revivalist - Playwright - Actor - Director
His grandfather’s world record in polo in England, while playing with the Nizam’s team, remains unparalleled in the game’s history. His father’s theatre movement in Hyderabad is of course, legendary. His brother’s work in avant-garde theatre is pioneering.
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Mohammad Ali Baig, from this illustrious lineage, is said to have turned a new page in the history of theatre in Hyderabad. His theatre revival movement for Hyderabad is a model shared by theatre companies overseas, prompting the national media to term him ‘Master of Revival’, ‘The New Age Theatre Revivalist’, ‘Hyderabad’s face of world class theatre’ and ‘Global Face of Hyderabad Theatre’.
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•Recipient of the Padmashri in 2014
•Award for Global Excellence in Theatre in Canada and USA in 2014 and 2016
•French Honour in Paris in 2010
•Retrospectives in Turkey and UK in 2015 ...Read More...
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QADIR ALI BAIG THEATRE FESTIVAL 2020 RESUMES POST PANDEMIC
Boosting the morale of theatre fraternity and theatre lovers
Radisson Blu Plaza Hyderabad | November 20th, 21st, 22nd 2020
India’s biggest privately-run theatre festival that hosts 150 artistes from all over the globe over 10 days across multiple venues in Hyderabad, is being presented this year in an abridged format over a single weekend. From classics of Kalidas to the absurdism of Mrozek, to mythological fare and lockdown stories. From Dastangoi and monologues to comedy and dramatised reading, from Rajasthan, Delhi and Assam, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana. Featuring plays by K.V. Subbanna, Heeba Shah, Mohammad Ali Baig with actors Danish Husain, Bhageerathi, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi, Daulat Vaid and others from November 20th to 22nd 2020 at Radisson Blu Plaza. Thanking the global pandemic warriors, boosting the morale of both the country's theatre fraternity and theatre lovers. And a tribute to the doyen Qadir Ali Baig.
The prestigious Festival, now in its 15th year, is curated by Padma Shri Mohammad Ali Baig. It is being presented by Government of Telangana's Department of Information and Public Relations and Telangana Tourism and Radisson Blu Plaza.
The theatre festival will be live with online bookings on www.bookmyshow.com and will be streamed online at a later date.
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