Kalabhi Rangothsava
Kalabhi Rangothsava 2024 emerged as an important cultural milestone in Kalabhi's artistic journey. Organised at the Kudmul Ranga Rao Town Hall in Mangaluru, the event created an opportunity to bring Kalabhi's theatrical work before a wider audience. The festival is also documented as one of Kalabhi's major initiatives of 2024.
A major highlight of the festival was the presentation of A Friend Beyond the Fence, a large-scale theatrical production directed by theatre practitioner and puppeteer Shravan Heggodu. The production drew particular attention for its distinctive visual language and the use of a life-size elephant puppet. Inspired by the techniques of Japanese Bunraku puppetry, the production brought together puppetry, live performance, music, special lighting and visual stagecraft to create a distinctive theatrical experience.
The production also recalled the spectacle of earlier Kannada theatre traditions, where large visual elements and animals were once part of company theatre, while reimagining such possibilities through contemporary puppetry and theatrical techniques. The striking presence of the elephant puppet became one of the most memorable elements of the presentation.
More than the presentation of a single production, Kalabhi Rangothsava 2024 became a cultural occasion through which Kalabhi shared its artistic vision with the theatre community and audiences of Mangaluru. The programme was attended by educationist and cultural personalities, including Yathish Baikampady as chief guest, along with Arehole Sadashiva Rao and several theatre practitioners and artists.
Through its combination of large-scale theatre, puppetry, visual storytelling and collective artistic practice, Kalabhi Rangothsava 2024 marked an important chapter in Kalabhi's journey. The presentation of A Friend Beyond the Fence demonstrated the scale of Kalabhi's creative ambition and its exploration of new theatrical possibilities. The festival remains a significant cultural milestone in Kalabhi's journey during 2024.