LUCKNOW, Jan. 6 -- To mark the 150 years of Vande Mataram and 50 years of its establishment, Bharatendu Natya Academy (BNA) will launch an initiative to promote theatre arts and the national song in rural areas of the state, it said. BNA chairperson Ratishankar Tripathi said while most people were familiar with the story of the national anthem, very few knew the circumstances in which Vande Mataram was written and how this song influenced India's freedom struggle. Keeping the objective of promoting the importance of Vande Mataram, the academy will facilitate in staging plays based on the story of Vande Mataram in 150 villages of the state. "The performers will not be professional actors, but the villagers themselves. They will perform after a special training by the academy. Along with the academy's own artists, city-based theatre practitioners and former students will also be associated with the initiative. They will visit villages, raise awareness about theatre among rural communities, and train villagers in acting," said Tripathi. He further informed that the final plan will be readied after a meeting on Tuesday, after which the programme will be launched within a few weeks....