Pateti or Navroz celebrations have been incomplete without a visit to the theatre to watch a Parsi-Gujarati play. For the New Year on Friday, Parsi-Zoroastrians in Mumbai had the

Theatre-going still part of Navroze celebration

For more than a century, Pateti or Navroz celebrations have been incomplete without a visit to the theatre to watch a Parsi-Gujarati play. For the New Year on Friday, Parsi-Zoroastrians in Mumbai had the choice of at least four plays at venues like NCPA's Tata Theatre and Nehru auditorium at Worli. Though Parsi-Gujarati theatre has declined over the decades, the tradition of a family outing to the theatre holds on precariously. Solicitor and columnist Berjis Desai, who recently reviewed a play for a community newspaper, said: "Undoubtedly, there has been a decline in Parsi-Gujarati theatre. The plays have limited appeal and do not hold more than three or four shows." Play director Dinyar Contractor, who has been continuing the tradition by holding shows during Pateti, the last day of the earlier year, and New Year for the last 45 years, said, "While Gujarati theatre is flourishing, Parsi plays have declined. One reason is that the audience has dwindled." Other directors blame the theatre's decline on fewer auditoriums and the growth of other forms of entertainment. "There were at least six theatres available for Parsi-Gujarati plays a decade ago. Now there are about three. Sometimes it is difficult to even get a slot for a single show," said director Diniyar Tirandaz whose play 'Keku Maro King Kong' was held on Friday evening at Bandra's Rangsharda. "The younger lot is not as interested in theatre. Most of those who attend plays are over 40 years old. Children are not so attuned to the theatre culture these days," Tirandaz added. But while the theatre tradition has declined, it survives. "Even today, going for a play is a tradition though it is on the decline," said Vispy Wadia, CA.