— kanchan Choudhary
Patna | January 4, 2026 ::=The prestigious Mithila–Maithili theatre organization Bhāngimā hosted the grand annual comedy-theatre festival “Thahaka–2025” on the evening of December 31 in Patna. The vibrant cultural celebration welcomed the New Year 2026 with laughter, devotion, sharp social satire, and powerful chants reflecting Sanatan consciousness.
Since its establishment in 1984, Bhāngimā has continuously enriched the Maithili theatre tradition. This year’s festival once again reaffirmed the institution’s deep commitment to theatrical culture, social awareness, and spiritual values.
Auspicious Opening with Devotion and Theatre
The programme began with the Bhāngimā Anthem — “Jai Jai He Nataraj, Mahima Tohar Apar..!” — followed by the energetic Thahaka Song, presented by Acharya Ashutosh Mishra along with Bhāngimā’s artists.
This was followed by the staging of the children’s play “Andher Nagri, Chaupat Raja”, directed by Kumar Sumit. The cast included:
Guruji — Kumar Sumit; Govardhan Das — Aastha Jha; Kebab Vendor — Ayushman, Ashesh; Ghasiram (Chana Seller) — Akshat Anand; Orange Vendor — Ayushi Kumari; Halwai — Arnav Jha; Kujrahin — Arya Nandini; Mughal — Kashvi Jha; Bania — Ayansh Kashyap; King — Kirtiman Katyayan; Minister — Aastha Anand; Complainant — Swastika Jha; Kallu (Bania) — Ayansh Jha; Artisan — Aarush Kumar; Grain Seller — Kashvi Jha; Bhishti — Arya Nandini; Butcher — Ayushman.
Powerful Maithili Play with Devotion and Satire
The next major presentation was the impactful Maithili play “Baba Dandot – Bachcha Jai Siyaram”, rich in devotion, humour, satire, and social sensitivity, directed by Avadhesh Jha.
Creative Team:
Playwright — Rishi Vashishtha
Director & Co-writer — Avadhesh Jha (“Narad’k Mithila Yatra”)
Assistant Director — Rashmi Mishra
Cast:
Vishnu — Kumar Sumit; Lakshmi — Bhavya Mishra; Narad — Kishor Jha; Jhamlal — Vinod Mishra; Bankaracharya — Nikhil Jha; Youth-1 — Ashutosh Mishra; Youth-2 — Amlesh Anand; Badi Jani — Rashmi Mishra; Chhoti Jani — Navi Thakur; Seth Ji — Praveen Jha; Man-1 — Kapil Mallik; Man-2 — Keshav Jha; Police-1 — Baiju Jha; Police-2 — Ranjan Thakur; Shyamlal — Shashibhushan Jha; Ashram Devotee — Harshit Jha; Priyanka Jha, among others.
Stage & Technical Team:
Make-up — Khushboo Mishra, Ravindra Bihari Raju
Light & Sound — Baiju, Sonu
Music — Animesh Singh
Voice Recording — Anjani Kumar Dhar
Music Mixing — Gopal
Voice Over — Hemant Jha
Artists Honoured, Dignitaries Present
The artists of both plays were honoured by Shri Vivekanand Jha, President of Chetna Samiti, Patna, and senior theatre personality Smt. Premalata Mishra (“Maa”).
Prominent attendees included Chetna Samiti Secretary Shri Jaidev Mishra, Vice President Shri Umesh Mishra, Smt. Manju Jha, Shri Vipendra Jha “Madhav”, Smt. Pooja Jha, Ms. Priyanka Mishra, ISKCON spokesperson Shri Nand Gopal Das, Prof. Shailendra Jha, and several other distinguished guests.
Theatre with a Message
Written by Rishi Vashishtha and conceptualised and directed by Avadhesh Jha, the play effectively highlighted social contradictions, human tendencies, and life’s deeper truths through humour.
Director Avadhesh Jha, in his address, stated:
“Through Thahaka–2025, we aim to bring society’s realities to the stage by blending devotion, humour, satire, and sensitivity. These performances make audiences laugh, but also compel them to reflect—this is the true purpose of theatre.”
The joint presentation of his short play “Narad’k Mithila Yatra” further enriched the evening, offering sharp social insight amidst roaring laughter.
Encouraging the Next Generation
As the second major presentation, “Andher Nagri Chaupat Raja” was once again staged under the direction of Kumar Sumit, with the objective of nurturing theatrical values among the younger generation. The confident and spirited performances by the children left a strong impression on the audience.
The programme was smoothly anchored by Priyanka Jha, while Amit Mishra served as the event coordinator.
A Celebration Beyond Theatre
Overall, “Bhāngimā Thahaka–2025” emerged not merely as a theatre festival, but as a vibrant celebration of Maithili cultural consciousness, social commitment, and Sanatan values, marking a meaningful and joyous welcome to the year 2026.
