After Badal Sarkar and Vijay Tendulkar, Amol Palekar's third theatre festival in the city of Pune this year will be dedicated to world known Manipuri theatre personality Ratan Thiyam.

Titled the Chorus Festival after Ratan Thiyam's Chorus Repertory Theatre, it will be on show from January 11 to 14.

The highlight of the festival will be the premiere of Thiyam's latest production Wahoudok (Prologue) and his felicitation by filmmaker Sai Paranjpye and actor Amruta Subhash.

The repertoire will showcase two trilogies– 'The Mahabharat Trilogy' and 'The Manipur Trilogy'.

The Mahabharat Trilogy comprising of his productions namely Chakravyuha, Urubhangam and Andha Yug will be staged at the Yashwantarao Chavan Auditorium on January 11,12,and 13, 2007.

January 14, 2007 will see the performances shifting to Balgandharva Rangmandir where along with Hey Nungshibi Prithibi (My Earth, My Love), Chinglon Mapan Tampak Ama (Nine Hills One Valley) and the premiering of Wahoudok (Prologue) will be complete of The Manipur Trilogy.

In a recent media meet in Pune, Amol Palekar said Ratan Thiyam's contribution has been relentless as a writer, poet, musician, actor and director and he has created about 40 productions over the last 30 years.

His troupe has visited 20 countries to attend international theatre festivals. All these have been done when his hometown has been rocked by violence and natural calamities, along with an acute paucity of funds.

Referring to the works of Ratan Thiyam, the renowned theatre and film personality Amol Palekar said, "What is truly fascinating is the way he uses the natural beauty of his region, its legendary martial arts and folk music that has completely mesmerized the audience, ensuring that there is no language barrier."

Narrating how Ebrahim Alkazi has felt on his student Ratan Thiyam, Palekar told to the media, When the theatre doyen Ebrahim Alkazi saw Ratan Thiyam's Nine Hills One Valley, he remarked "It's always very gratifying when a student you have taught gets ahead of you in a production, but with this one play, I am very proud to say that Ratan Thiyam has surpassed my entire career."

This is the third theatre retrospective being held by Amol Palekar in the city of Pune, the earlier two being dedicated to Badal Sarkar in 2004 and Vijay Tendulkar in 2005.

Palekar said, " These retrospectives are a means of expressing gratitude to the theatre veterans for their immense contribution to the field.

They also have archival value since we record all the performances and hand them over to the Bharat Natya Mandir Sanshodhan Sanstha." Amol Palekar came to Manipur to hunt the works of Ratan Thiyam from May 5 to 8 last year (2006).

Among other personalities, Om Puri, Nasseruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Anupam Kher, Jaydev and Rohini Hattangadi will attend the festival.

Thirty-three artistes of the Chorus Repertory Theatre had already left Imphal for the festival.

Talking about his latest production- Wahoudok to be premiered in Pune Festival, Ratan Thiyam who is currently in Imphal said, " This play links myth with reality.

It encompasses a wide spectrum of human evolution right from the birth of the Universe, based on the myths of the Meiteis, to the modern times, broken up in four distinct episodes– the birth of the Universe, the creation of living beings, the outset of human civilization and the modern times".