Imphal, April 11: Noted theatre director from New York Mrs Erine has expressed her desire for doing research on Manipuri Shumang leela art form and has requested former Minister of Art and Culture and MLA Dr M Nara Singh for sending a synopsis and photographs of the play Lidicegee Gulap written by him to start with.

According to a statement issued by the MLA today, Mrs Erine telephoned to him in the morning of April 8 to know more about this art form and how he came to write the script of Lidicegee Gulap.

Dr Nara reportedly informed the inquisitive and enthusiastic USA national that Shumang leela (Courtyard play) of Manipur is one of the most popular form of theatrical performances and any theme could be played.

As such transmutation of a play like Lidicegee Gulap with its universal theme of peace and peaceful co-existence into Shumang Leela art form has become an effective communication between the performers and the audience.

It may be noted here that Dr M Nara had visited Lidice, a small village in Czech Republic which was devastated on the night of June 10, 1942 by Nazis during Second World War.

The poet inside Dr Nara was so much attracted and charmed by the beauty of the roses that were growing in full bloom over the mass graveyard of the village that he was inspired to write a poem, little realising that the short but emotionally charged poem would finally resulted into a full script of the famed Lidicegee Gulap.

The play with its message of peace and peaceful co-existence against war and violence has been lapped up by the audiences not only in Manipuri but also in other parts of India and abroad.

The play has also successfully portrayed the culture of violence being faced by the people in their day to day life with a powerful message to replace it by a culture of peace for social progress and change.

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