Vadodara: During the 1971 Indo-Pak war, 300 women from Kutch risked their lives to repair a bombed Indian Air Force airstrip in Bhuj within just 72 hours. A short play based on this extraordinary act of courage recently won second prize at the National Micro Drama Festival.Titled Virangana 1971, the play was presented by the Triveni Theatre Group, Vadodara, and won the second-best production award at THESPIS – the National Micro Drama Festival, organised in association with Bharat Rang Mahotsav by the National School of Drama, said P S Chari, general secretary and creative head of Triveni.Directed by Nisarg Raval and written by playwright Makarand Musale, the production featured music composed by Mishal Bhatiya and Mansi Desai. The play dramatises the inspiring contribution of 300 women from Madhapur village in Kutch, who rebuilt the damaged airstrip in a matter of days during the December 1971 war with Pakistan.“It was a unique feat where rural women rose in defence of the nation,” Chari said.THESPIS is a micro-drama theatre festival where each play is limited to 10 minutes, challenging theatre-makers to deliver powerful, precise and emotionally resonant performances within a compact format. This season featured 30 micro-plays staged in a single day.
