Port Blair, April 7: Shri Naresh Chander Lal from A&N Islands was felicitated by ‘Natrang’ on 6th April 2013 at Natrang Studio Theatre, Jammu. Lal was felicitated by Natrang Director, Shri Balwant Thakur with the presentation of a shawl.
Speaking on the occasion Balwant Thakur said that we are honoring ourselves by felicitating an artist who has come all way from Andaman & Nicibar Islands to J&K. This is a humble effort of Natrang to culturally bridge J&K with the distant Andaman Nicobar Islands. The one and the only National School of Drama graduate from Port Blair, Naresh Chander Lal is a known film maker in addition to the accomplished theatre director.
After graduating from National School of Drama, Lal created a group ‘Andaman People Theatre Association’ and produced many plays of social concerns and virtually introduced the people of the island to this mesmerizing art of theatre. He has also trained many actors and artists of the area and created a new movement of theatre in the islands. Later he started producing films. His first film ‘Runway on the Sea’ shot him to national fame. Later he produced ‘Beyond the Horizon’ and lately his film ‘Gandhi Aur Mahatma’ won accolades in many film festivals. Through his films he brought the Andaman Islands in the national/ International limelight. He mainly had the thrust to popularize the tourism potential of the islands in which he succeeded as well.
Speaking further about his association with him, Balwant Thakur said that since last four years they have been meeting together in the General Council of National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama, New Delhi where Naresh Chander Lal represents Andaman & Nicobar islands and he represents Jammu & Kashmir and have been sharing larger cultural concerns of the country. Balwant Thakur further hoped that Naresh Chander Lal will in future extend the horizons of his film making to Jammu & Kashmir and will invite artists from here to showcase J&K to the people of islands. Lal was also presented Natrang’s Internationally Dogri play ‘Ghumauee’ and in return copies of all Lal’s three films was presented to Natrang.
Naresh Chander Lal expressing his gratitude to Natrang said that Natrang has not honored him but has honored the whole population of Andaman and Nicobar islands. He will carry this message of love, warmth and affection to them and will make all efforts to strengthen this cultural bridge further between J&K and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Prominent among those who attended this exclusive function included Vijay Bhatt, Neeraj Kant, Anil Tickoo, Madan Rangeela, Subash Jamwal, Suraj Ganjoo, Sumeet Sharma, Mohd. Yaseen, Aarti Rajput, Sajra Qadir, Rahul Singh, Ankush Lakhnotra and Vishal Sharma.