India, Jan. 23 -- The 25th edition of the National School of Drama's annual marquee event Bharat Rang Mahotsav will begin here from January 27 with many firsts, including productions by 33 women directors, participation of theatre groups from 15 countries, and inclusion of a number of new venues, director Chittaranjan Tripathy announced on Thursday.

The festival, popularly known as "Bharangam", will feature a total of 277 Indian and 12 international productions, including from Russia, Spain, Czech Republic, Italy, and Nepal, across 40 centres nationwide, encompassing performances in 228 languages and dialects. In addition, the theatre festival will present 19 university and 14 local productions.

"We will feature at least one production ...