The Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META)-2024 announced ‘Raghunath’ as the big winner, sweeping five out of six awards in various categories. Bidyut Kr. Nath dominated the awards, winning Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Script, Best Production, and Best Stage Design, while Gautam Saikia received the Best Light Design award.
Apart from ‘Raghunath’, other plays like ‘Do You Know This Song?’ and ‘Hayavadana’ also bagged awards for Best Sound & Music Design and Best Costume Design respectively. Tarun Bhattacharya won Best Actor in a Supporting Role (male) for ‘Gopal Ure & Co’, while Nibedita Mukhopadhyay and Pallavi Jadho shared the award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (female).
Mallika Taneja and Mallika Singh Hanspal shared the award for Best Actor in a Lead Role (Female) for their performances in different plays. Maisnam Joy Meetei & Mehak received the Best Choreography award for ‘Agnisuta Draupadi’ and ‘Hayavadana’ was honored with the Best Ensemble award.
Veteran actor and director Ram Gopal Bajaj received the Lifetime Achievement Award this year. The jury for META comprised notable names like Dolly Thakore, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Mahesh Dattani, Raghuvir Yadav, Smriti Rajgarhia, and Vinay Pathak.
META, organized by the Mahindra Group and Teamwork Arts, received over 390 entries representing diverse languages. Jay Shah, Vice President & Head, Cultural Outreach, Mahindra Group, and Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts & Festival Producer, shared their thoughts on the success of the 19th edition of META, highlighting the excellence and diversity of Indian theatre.
