SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2017(PAGE-3) CULTURAL ROUND UP 2017 AWARDS AND HONOURS Risha Chib and Simran Sharma displayed works at Cartist Automo- In the wake of almost negligible appreciation by immedi- bile Art Festival organized at Jaipur. Jang S. Verman displayed his ate communities and civil society, the national, state awards In a scenario where J&K Department of Culture still dragging its feet in announcing works in number of international and national art exhibitions, art and honours are the only encouragement for the handful com- the much touted cultural policy, State & Central Universities yet to give due status festivals. He participated in Painters Camps at Naggar, Kullu, Kala munity of writers, artists and other creative individuals in Kendra, Jammu, Mansar & Bhamlada. Sunanda Khajuria, Delhi based Jammu and Kashmir. to creative fields of performing and Visual arts, dead museums, orphaned Kala Kendra, painter from Painthal, had shows at Indian Art Fair, Art Heritage Shiv Mehta the Dogri writer was bestowed national award nil infrastructure in districts and tehsil headquarters, the course of the artistic and Gallery, New Delhi, Group Exhibitions in India- Korea Cultural Exchange Exhibition Seoul / South Korea, The Gallery, InKo Centre for literature, the Sahitya Akademi Award for his anthology of cultural activities for year 2017, was charted for the most part by creative individuals Dogri short stories tiled 'Banna'.Sahitya Akademi's Bal Sahitya India and South Korea, Indiske Billeder, Art Association, Denmark, Puraskar went to Sudesh Raj, for her short stories book Jan- and few NGOs devoted to the practice and promotion of different traditional "Under the Sky", Inner Mongolia Museum, Hohhot, China. Reecha gal di Sair. Rajinder Rahnja, got Sahitya Akademi Yuva as well as contemporary cultural expressions, writes Lalit Gupta Gupta, the freelance painter, also participated in number of group Puraskar for of poetry book Tere Hirkhe Ch. Sahitya Akademi shows. Ravinder Jamwal's besides his creative works, contributed Translation Award in Dogri was bagged by Yash Raina, for his with statues of prominent personalities on public demand. translation of Gujarati novel Angliyat. Hinditar Bhashi Hindi with quality English translations of Dogri prose and poetry, contributed released 'Joginder Singh Pandhi: Jivan Te Rachna' compiled, CARTOONISTS Lekhak Puraskar by the Directorate of Hindi, Government of with publication of translated stories. edited by Popinder Singh Paras and 'Kalakaar Vishesh Ank on Manoj Chopra, was ranked 3rd in CSR cartoon competition, India New Delhi was conferred on Neeru Sharma, for her Hin- Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, with Prof Lalit Magotra demitting Joginder Singh Pandhi' . Other new books were Jasbir Singh Sar- ranked Second in a National Level Competition by Cartoon Watch di short story Book Pagnandi and Satish Vimal, for his poetry office as Convener Dogri Advisory Board after a fruitful term, the na's 'Adabnaama', 'Mrig Trishna;' Punjabi poetry collection of & Chattisgarh State Renewable Energy Development Agency. His book Kaal Surya. Vikrant Sharma, young and dynamic actor Akademi's programs held this year included, Meet the Author with Sewa Singh Sheetal. Dr. Jasbir Sarna was honoured by Kashmir participations included National Cartoon Exhibition in Kargil, got National Bismillah Khan Yuva Sangeet Natak Akademi Champa Sharma, Asmita with Dogri women poets, Through My Sikh Sangat, Dr. Monojit got J&K Cultural Academy's National Cartoon Exhibition 'Freedom of Expression' by Kerala Award in the field of Acting. Prof Ram Nath Shastri Smriti Window: Poet Mohan Singh, spoke on Ved Pal Deep, Distin- Best Book Award. Academy and Ernakulum Press Club. Chander Shekhar, attend- Puruskar was conferred on Dogri poet Susheel Begana, for his guished Dogri Poet: Lecture on Surendra Singh Manhas PAHARI ed National Cartoonists Camp held by Kerala Lalithkala Akade- first book of poems 'Maun Lakeeran'. Second Kunwar Viyogi by Sushil Begana, Kathasandhi, with Dogri fiction writ- Cultural Academy's Pahari Section through my, at Kochi, Fatkare National Exhibition at Nagpur, and organ- Sahitya Puruskar was bagged by Saroj Bala , for her poetry col- ers Rajeshwar Raju and Shashi Pathania, Kavisandhi publication in different genre augmented ized national cartoon exhibition at Kargil. lection. Instituted this year only, the first Dinu Bhai Pant Life with Bishan Singh Dardi and Vijay Verma, People Pahari literature. Quotable Pahari poets were PHOTOGRAPHY Time Achievement Award was presented to Dogri's poet and and Book with Prof. P. K. Sharma, and three Gra- Swami Anterneerav, Saleem Tabish, Anwar Well known creative photographers Ch Sundar, Dr Ashok, Subhash writer Padama Sachdev. Dogri and Hindi writer, Chhatrapal, malok Dogri Poets' Meets. Symposia were organized Khan, Liaqat Jardari, Guershan Gulshan, Langeh, Vijay Gupta participated in number of international and was honoured with Sauhard Puraskar, by Uttar Pradesh Hin- on 'The impact of globalization on Dogri Literature', Rashid Qamar and Parvez Malik. national shows and won gold medals and honours. di Sansthan, Lucknow. Yashpaul Nirmal, was awarded 'Youth writing in Dogri Language', 'Echoes of Folk Visual Arts, in J&K have almost nil visi- THEATRE Rashtriya Anuvad Sahitya Gaurav Samman 2017 by Nirmala Literature in Contemporary Dogri Literature', 'Dogri bility due to J&K Academy's listless policy, Under stewardship of Balwant Thakur, Jammu's theatre group Smriti Samiti, Haryana and Bhartiya Anuvad Parishad, New Ghazal' and 'Dogri Short Stories' and Deenu Bhai Pant failure of J& K Universities to give due status Natrang has made phenomenal strides this year: Two of its iconic pro- Delhi for Hindi Translation of Mohan Singh's Dogri long poem, Centenary Celebrations. Monographs in MIL series were to visual arts in their set up and general apa- ductions Baba Jitto became longest running play in the country and Liaqat Jafri, famous Urdu poet of J&K, was awarded Shaheed published on Yash Sharma by Bishan Singh Dardi and thy of the civil society towards creative arts. But the other Ghumayiee is chosen to be staged in International Theatre Lala Jagat Narayan Award 2017 for his services to Urdu Liter- Ramnath Shastri by Veena Gupta, 'Bedi Dubbi', Chhatrapal's individual artists continued to create, exhibit their Olympiad being held in India. Natrang, organized record 102 ature. State Awards: Balraj Bakshi, Urdu writer and poet from Piyush Bhagat shows/programmes during the year 2017. These included Udhampur was honored with State Award for his contribu- shows of Baba Jitto, Mata Ki Kahani, nine new plays, 10 par- tion in Urdu language and literature. ticipations in National Theatre Festivals, Natrang Theatre FILMS Festival, Fresher's Theatre Workshop, Children's Theatre Amit Dutta son of the soil and hailed as significant contemporary Camp, International Acting Workshop- 'Theatre of the practitioners of experimental cinema in the world, was honored with oppressed' by Fabian Hartwell, Foundation Day Celebrations, three retrospectives of his films at Cinematic Museum, Berkeley Muse- Show Series of play 'Parvaaz' . Director Natrang, Balwant um and Pacific Film Archives, University of California, at Lugano Arte Thakur, was conferred with 'Prithivi Raj Kapoor Samman' for e Cultura, Lugano, Switzerland, and by Bombay Art Society. He pub- his life-time contribution to theatre by Ras Kala Manch, lished two books: 'Invisible Webs', IIAS Shimla, and 'Many Questions to Haryana. Amateur Theater Group, led by Mushtaq Kak, also Myself' - Diary of an Indian Film Student, Raza Foundation/Rajkamal had distinction of being selected to stage its play in Internation- Prakashan, translated from English to Hindi by Geet Chaturvedi as Khud al Theatre Olympiad being held in India. The group has con- se kai swaal. He was selected to play in the All India Correspondence tributed significantly for promoting Urdu language theatre by Chess Championship and won Silver in 2017 as the First-runner up. Brinda Gujral Sana Dua Basha Sumbli Raj Bharti staging Khalid Husain's Ishq Malangi in major festivals and Rahat Qazmi, filmmaker from Surankot, working in Mumbai, did com- venues of the country. Other notable activity was starting plete shooting for his new ventures but no film of his was released this monthly series of plays directed by young directors/actors, year. holding workshops etc. Samooh Theatre Group, working JOLYWOOD under patronage of Sudhir Mahajan, and direction of Ravin- Notwithstanding enthusiastic public response to local films pro- der Sharma, held a three day drama festival, staged Hindi trans- duced in last five years by Jollywood (Jammu film industry), no new lations/adaptations of Hamlet, Othello, Oedipus, Tempest, films hit the screen in 2017. Only satisfaction was good appreciation Tendulkar's Papa Kho Gaye, Andha Yug, and Dogri plays; Gian of Dogri film Geetiyanin national film festival at Kolkotta. Short film Singh's Kaliveer, Baba Jitmal and others. The group's perform- genre is attracting many amateur filmmakers in Jammu. Sandeep ances of play Gagan damama Bajyo has entered in the 10th Verma's short film premiered at KC Cineplex earned accolades and year. The Group held Folk theatre workshop on 'Haran', and is getting 'likes' on YouTube. performed plays like Play X - Reflection, Agni Barkha, Sarpanch SATELLITE CHANNELS and Urubhangam . Rangyug: led by Deepak Kumar, has been Jammu's young talented actors, dancers, models, who have made Tarun Basoon Liaqat Jafri Rabjot Singh Ishar Rabjot Singh galvanized this year by starting 360 Hours Theatre Training mark in TV serials, talent hunt shows, beauty pageants are Bhanu for the young aspirants, The group also organized Nritya Utsav Udhay, a NSD graduate, is essaying role of Viajy Namdhari in 'Saam with Kathak Guru Priya Dutta, released a compilation of write- Dhaam Dand Bhed'. Aman Khullar, as police officer in serial Yah Hain ups of Naresh Gulati, and performed shows of nukkad Dheeth at vari- translation of Rabindra Nath works and win accolades Mohabtein and Star Bahrat serial JiJi Maa. Ajay Pal Singh Andotra, stage, ous places in Jammu. Pancham kept its calendar ticking by holding a Tagore Bengali novel albeit outside the state.