Nagpur: Various programmes have been lined up for the four-day 99th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Natya Sammelan to be held at Suresh Bhat Sabhagruh and on the premises of Dadasaheb Dhanwate Nagar Vidyalaya at Reshimbagh ground from Friday.The prestigious event was held at Mulund, Mumbai, last year. The event has returned to the city after a gap of 34 years. Noted playwright Premanand Gajvi is the president of the natya sammelan.The festival, which will have participation of different genres of theatre like folk, zadipatti, amateur, commercial and experimental, will be held at Suresh Bhat Sabhagruh and on a special stage set up at Reshimbagh ground.The event will begin with a ‘natya dindi’ which will start from Gandhi Gate, Mahal, at 3pm and culminate at Reshimbagh ground. Noted playwright Mahesh Elkunchwar will inaugurate the festival at Reshimbagh ground at 6.30pm. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will be the chief guest.Around twelve plays will be presented by different theatre groups from Nashik, Mumbai, Nagpur, Karanja Lad, Solapur, Ichalkaranji, Sangli and Ahmadnagar.Besides the staging of plays, the event will also have panel discussions and monologues presented on the open stage at Bhat Sabhagruh. A programme showing highlights of major events that took place from the first to ninety-eighth theatre meet, titled ‘Sammelanachi Vari’, will be presented by Devendra Belankar on Sunday.The other highlights of the closing ceremony will be an open house and presentation of Geet Ramayan by Varana Nagar, Kolhapur. Maharogi Seva Samiti, Warora, will present Swaranandvan orchestra.Musical presentation Mukti, written and directed by Prajakt Deshmukh and rendered by Devki Pandit, will be presented at Suresh Bhat Sabhagruh at 1pm on Monday.

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