Surabhi Theater is celebrating its 141st anniversary with a five-day festival in Vizag

A scene from ‘Bhaktha Prahlada’ staged by Bhanodaya Natya Mandali (Surabhi) at Kalabharati Auditorium in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday as part of the celebration of 141 years of Surabhi theater tradition. | Photo credit: V. RAJU

The one-year-old and her great-grandmother, 78, who belong to one extended family, shared the stage on Tuesday as the Bhanodaya Natya Mandali (Surabhi) launched a five-day festival at the Kalabharati Auditorium in Visakhapatnam to mark 141 years of Surabhi theater tradition with a production of ‘Bhaktha Prahahlad’

Bhanodaya Natya Mandali is one of the 12 troupes currently operating under the banner of Surabhi, a theater lineage that traces its origins to 1885. The Mandali itself was founded in 1993 and completes 32 years this year, said R. Bhanu Prasad, a key member and artist of the troupe. He said he owes a lot of his growth to his grandfather R. Nageswara Rao, who ran Surabhi Theater for several decades.

The festival, which will run till June 20 with shows starting at 6 pm every night, will also feature ‘Pathala Bhairavi’, ‘Lava Kusa’, ‘Bhookailas’ and ‘Mayabazar’. Dignitaries present included Police Commissioner Shankhabrata Bagchi and former Deputy Mayor Dadi Satyanarayana. The celebrations are held in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

Mr. Prasad said the 40 artistes who performed on the opening day belonged to a single extended family, from one-year-old Kurthananda to 78-year-old R. Pushpalath. “All the artists, from children to senior members, contribute not only as actors but also in make-up, stage management, sound, lighting and other production work,” he said, describing the scope of Surabhi’s productions as different from most other theater traditions.

Tributes paid

He said Visakhapatnam was chosen for this year’s festival as a tribute to two people associated with the region.

“We decided to organize this festival in Visakhapatnam because after the death of thespian and organizer Badamgir Sai, who played a key role in popularizing Surabhi theater in the Visakhapatnam region, there were no Surabhi shows in the city,” he said, adding that the festival is also being held in memory of his grandfather R. Nageswara Rao. The celebrations were originally planned for Hyderabad.

Mr. Prasad said the art form is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain as social media now competes for audience attention after decades of competition from cinema and television. He said the troupe holds 120-150 shows across the country every year to sustain its artists. “Support from the government would help sustain these traditions for a long way,” he said.

Published – 17 Jun 2026 20:10 IST