Pakistani play at NSD theatre festival cancelled due to visa issues

Pakistani play “Among Fog”, scheduled to be staged on Thursday at NSD’s ongoing Bharat Rang Mahotsav theatre festival, was cancelled due to visa issues.

Pakistani play “Among Fog”, scheduled to be staged on Thursday at NSD’s ongoing Bharat Rang Mahotsav theatre festival, was cancelled due to visa issues.

Secretary, ministry of culture, NK Sinha addresses during the inauguration of the NSD`s 18th Bharat Rang Mahotsav in New Delhi. The team of “Among Fog”, an English and Urdu drama, could not make it to the Indian theatre festival on time but NSD is hopeful about the other play from Pakistan.(IANS)

The team of “Among Fog”, an English and Urdu drama, could not make it to the Indian theatre festival on time but NSD is hopeful about the other play from Pakistan.

“We had announced earlier that artistes of ‘Among Fog’ won’t be able to make it for the theatre festival. In the mail sent by NAPA (Pakistan), they had mentioned that they won’t be able to participate as they haven’t got the visa,” Suresh Bhardwaj, chief controller of Bharat Rang Mahotsav, told PTI.

He said that the festival had sent the invitation and necessary documents well in advance but the delay was from their end.

“They themselves withdrew their participation despite our full co-ordination,” Bhardwaj said.

The other Pakistani play ‘Akhiyaan’, by Azad theatre, is scheduled to be staged on February 19.

“‘Akhiyaan’ is still on. We are in touch with the high commission. We are very optimistic about it. They are in the process (of getting their visa),” he added.

In its statement on Thursday, National School of Drama, however, said that ‘Among Fog’ “has been cancelled due to unavoidable circumstances.”

NAPA people were unavailable for comment.