Presence : Above 1,000 shows, Marathi

The biggest production of Chaurang so far, Marathi Bana was conceptualised as a 70mm Marathi programme and it has really gone way beyond that. Performed by over 125 artists, Marathi Bana uniquely expresses true qualities of Marathi manoos (man), his work culture, sheer joy of living, etc. It is not a play, it is not a musical and it can’t be called a sequence of songs.

It captures a bit of all that and still remains unique. Meant to showcase folk art from across the state, it is well packaged and pitched with an audience in mind. Pulsating to the energy of folk dances and themes, it includes the farmers’ lives, the tribal thakars’ stories, bhakti sangeet, lavani, tamasha, celebration of various festivals, Koli dance, Burgunda (common sense passed on verbally from one generation to the next), as well as rituals like mangalagaur, gondhal and jogwa. Marathi Bana always leaves the audience spellbound with the unbelievably rich treasure of Marathi culture.