LUCKNOW, Sept. 4 -- A five-day theatre festival "Rang-e-Aawargi" began at UP Sangeet Natak Akademi with the staging of 'Kahat Bhikari' on Wednesday. Senior theatre artists Suryamohan Kulshreshtha, Lalit Singh Pokhriyal were present on the occasion. Organised by Rupantar Natya Manch, the play portrayed the life and creative journey of renowned Bhojpuri writer and theatre artist Bhikari Thakur. Written by Apurnesh Mishra and directed by Sunil Jaiswal, the play offered glimpses into Thakur's iconic works including 'Videshiya' and 'Bechi Bechwa', among others. The audience also witnessed scenes from five of Thakur's major plays, with 'Videshiya' particularly standing out for depicting the pain and emotional turmoil of those who leave home to seek work abroad. Another standout feature of the play was its rich use of folk music from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Folk dance forms such as Dhobhiya and Chamrauli added vibrancy to the performance. Singers Shagun Srivastava and Vivek Srivastava delivered emotionally resonant performances that touched the audience. The main cast included Apurnesh Mishra, Aditya Rajan, Harikesh Pandey and Pawan Kumar....