Shumang Leela, the traditional form of theatre celebrated in All Manipur Shumang Leela Festival 2021-2022 in Imphal

Source: The post is based on the article “Shumang Leela, the traditional form of theatre celebrated in All Manipur Shumang Leela Festival 2021-2022 in Imphal” published in AIR on 1st September 2022.

What is the News?

The 50th All Manipur Shumang Leela Festival 2021-2022 has started at Iboyaima Shumang Leela Shanglen at Palace Compound in Imphal.Manipur.

What is Shumang Leela?

Shumang Leela is a traditional form of theatre in Manipur. The theatre is arranged in the form of open-air from four sides.

In this, the roles of female artists are all played by male actors and male characters are played by female artists.

The present-day Shumang Leelas address the issues of moral values, unity and integrity. The fostering of bonds of brotherhood and friendship among various communities in the State is also promoted by the theatre.

In 2017, Shougrakpam Hemanta was conferred with the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in recognition of his contribution to Shumang Leela. With this, he became the first person to receive the award for this art form.