HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, March 14: The Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) and Festival 2023 announced that the META 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award will be conferred on celebrated Indian stage, film, and television actress Sushma Seth who will be felicitated during the award ceremony on March 29 next.
Teamwork Arts and Mahindra Group hosted a press conference at the India Habitat Centre introducing the jury members, namely theatre Indian theatre director Amal Allana; Indian theatre and Film Actress Arundhati Nag; award-winning theatre director Bruce Guthrie; director Neelam Mansingh Chowdhry; Sangeet Natak Akademi Award recipient and actor Mohan Agashe; award-winning theatre artist and actor Shernaz Patel; and Director of India Habitat Centre and President of the Delhi Music Society Sunit Tandon.
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The announcements come ahead of the week-long Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) and Festival to be held from March 23-28 at New Delhi’s Kamani Auditorium and Shri Ram Centre, where META 2023’s ten-shortlisted plays will be performed for an esteemed panel of jury members, as well as theatre-lovers in the capital.
This year’s Lifetime Awardee, Sushma Seth started her career in the 1950s and was a founder member of the Delhi-based theatre group Yatrik. Her first movie was Junoon in 1978. She is known for her role as Dadi in the pioneering TV soap Hum Log which aired in the 1980s and set many trends for television entertainment in the country.
Jay Shah, Head, of Cultural Outreach, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, said, “We are thrilled to confer the META 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award on Sushma Seth, a veteran of the stage who understands the complexity and nuances of theatre and has lived the craft fully through her vast body of work. The stage has unbounded potential and we continue to applaud it!”
Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts & Festival Producer, said, “META 2023 will present awards in 14 categories including the Lifetime Achievement Award. The 13 competitive categories are Best Play, Best Director, Best Stage Design, Best Light Design, Best Innovative Sound Design, Best Costume Design, Best Actor in a Lead Role (Male), Best Actor in a Lead Role (Female), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female), Best Original Script, Best Ensemble, and Best Choreographer. “
Sharing her thoughts Shernaz Patel said, “It is no mean feat to run a program of such depth and magnitude for 18 years. But META has never wavered from its quest to celebrate theatre and applaud its talent. At a time when people question the staying power of the stage, I am so happy that I will be a part of the META community this year to reiterate why we all do this, to share in the joy of theatre, and to honor its best.”
