Srinagar, November 12: ACT FOR A BETTER TOMORROW, one of Kashmir’s oldest theatre organisations, celebrated its Golden Jubilee on Wednesday, marking 50 years of contribution to theatre, art, culture and social service.
The celebration was held in Srinagar in the presence of politicians, bureaucrats, veteran artists, writers, scholars, journalists, students and hundreds of art lovers from across Jammu and Kashmir.
The event was sponsored by Kashmir Movietone and Halal Nation, with support from Amar Singh Club, Srinagar. Gabfire was the branding partner, while Rampage Advertising Agency served as the advertising partner.
Speaking on the occasion, ACT Chairman Mushtaaque Ali Ahmad Khan, who has led the organisation for over four decades in various capacities, including actor, director, set designer and organiser, said theatre would continue to remain the organisation’s core identity.
“Theatre is and will remain the soul of ACT. For 50 years, we have performed not for fame, but for the people of Kashmir. Our journey is a story of passion, sacrifice and honest creative labour. Today, we renew our pledge to serve Kashmir for the next 50 years,” he said.
The event was attended by several prominent personalities, including Tanvir Sadiq, Zafar Iqbal Khan Manhas, Syed Basharat Bukhari, Dr Rafi Ahmad, Syed Tajamul Islam, Sujada Basheer, Sayed Humayun Qaisar, Shahnawaz Bukhari, Ahsan Chisti, Suman Raina, Amit Wanchoo, Mehjabeen Nabi, Prof Tariq Abdullah, Rauf Tramboo, Rauf Punjabi, Roma Wani, Shabnum Ashai, Zameer Ashai, G M Wani, Shahzad Rasool, Hussein Khan, Ameen Bhat, Mushtaq Bala, Mir Aijaz, Mir Sarwar, Shafeeq Quraishi, Waheed Jeelani, Raja Bilal, Ashiq Peerzada, Tahir Mohi Uddin and Parvez Majeed, among others.
Over the past five decades, ACT has produced more than two dozen major stage productions, several of which have received state and national-level recognition. The organisation has established its identity through socially relevant themes, strong scripts and powerful performances.
Its notable productions include ‘Jheel Bula Rahi Hai’, ‘Ek Potli Armanoon Ki’, which received eight awards, ‘Taqdeer Saaz’, which won nine awards, ‘Negative’, the first-ever play staged on a floating platform in Dal Lake, ‘Sabarmati Ka Sant’, ‘Sanyasi’, ‘Pagla Ghoda’ and ‘Deewana Bana De’.
The organisation has also received more than a dozen prestigious awards over the past two decades, including the Chinar Art Foundation Award, two Infotel Awards, Athwas Award and Awards of Excellence and Honour. Its productions have won awards for Best Production, Best Direction and Best Set Design at festivals organised by the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages and Doordarshan.
Apart from theatre productions, ACT has played a significant role in creating platforms for cultural and artistic activities in the region. It has organised three Spring Theatre Festivals, five editions of the Kashmir World Film Festival, two editions of Istaqbaal-e-Chilla-e-Kalan and the Jashn-e-Sheen Festival.
It also organised the first three-day Kashmir Theatre Conference from September 11 to 13, 2026, bringing together 24 theatre experts from Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Kashmir.
ACT has also been organising World Theatre Day celebrations on March 27 continuously for the past 21 years.
The organisation has conducted workshops in collaboration with NZCC Patiala and Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, besides managing campaigns for NTPC, the Tourism Department and AIRCEL. It has also organised drawing competitions for orphaned children following the COVID-19 lockdown and felicitated national personalities, including Naseeruddin Shah, Nandita Das and Ismail Darbar.
As part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations, veteran artists, writers and founding members of ACT were felicitated. The programme also featured cultural performances, music and excerpts from the organisation’s landmark productions. A Golden Jubilee souvenir and a documentary chronicling ACT’s 50-year journey were also released.
On the occasion, ACT Patron Sayed Humayun Qaisar announced the organisation’s roadmap for the next decade, covering the period 2026-2036.
The proposed initiatives include the establishment of an ACT Academy of Performing Arts to provide structured training in theatre, music, dance and film, and an ACT Youth Leadership Centre focusing on leadership, skill development and women’s empowerment.
The roadmap also envisages the creation of an ACT Archive of Kashmiri Theatre for the digital preservation of the region’s theatrical history, besides the ’50 Plays for 50 Years’ project, under which 50 plays will be staged across Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi.
The organisation also plans to undertake social initiatives aligned with 12 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on education, health, gender equality, environmental protection and the welfare of specially-abled persons, orphans and senior citizens.
In a special gesture, ACT felicitated journalists from print, electronic and digital media with mementoes in recognition of their contribution to highlighting the organisation’s theatrical productions, festivals and social initiatives over the decades.
The organisation said the media fraternity had remained an important partner in its journey, helping take its cultural and social activities to a wider audience.
The organisation expressed gratitude to the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, Sangeet Natak Akademi, NZCC, media fraternity, sponsors, artists and people of Kashmir for their continued support over the past 50 years.
