Dance drama ‘Matang Kanya’ staged under incentive scheme of NCZCC

Shashank Pandey honored with ‘Alok Rang Samman 2026’

Prayagraj: A beautiful dance drama ‘Matang Kanya’ was staged by Vinod Rastogi Smriti Sansthan and Nrityam, Prayagraj in the auditorium of North Central Zone Cultural Centre (NCZCC) on Saturday. This presentation based on Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s timeless work ‘Chandalika’ moved the audience present. Let us tell you that this program was staged under the incentive scheme of NCZCC. During the program, young artist Shashank Pandey was honored with ‘Alok Smriti Rang Samman 2026’ for his excellent contribution in the field of theatre. Under this award given to young artists in the memory of Alok Rastogi ji as an encouragement, Shashank was given a certificate of honor and a sum of Rs. 5000.
Directed by director Sayoni Bhattacharya, this dance drama artfully conveyed the message of caste discrimination and human dignity prevalent in society. Through their acting and dancing, the main actors brought to life the characters of the Chandala girl ‘Prakriti’, her mother ‘Maya’, and the Buddhist monk ‘Ananda’. Ajay Mukherjee, Sayoni Bhattacharya, and Ahona Bhattacharya played the lead roles.
In addition, co-stars Divyansh, Antara, Manasvi, Anshika, Pratik, Aditya, Anusravi, Utkarsh, Yashasvi, Aakhya, Anvesha, Mudrika, Shivalika, Drishya, and Gajendra captivated the audience with their presence. The play’s lighting was done by Sujoy Ghoshal and Shashank Pandey. At the end of the program, the organization’s officials expressed their gratitude to the dignitaries present, the audience, and the print and digital media.