Srinagar, Nov 12: ACT FOR A BETTER TOMORROW, one of Kashmir’s oldest and most respected theatre organisations, yesterday celebrated its historic Golden Jubilee, marking 50 years of uninterrupted service to theatre, art, culture and society.
The Golden Jubilee celebration was held in Srinagar with great enthusiasm, in the presence of distinguished guests, veteran artists, writers, scholars, students and hundreds of art lovers from across Jammu & Kashmir.
The show was sponsored by ‘Kashmir Movietone’ and ‘Halal Nation’, and supported by ‘Amar Singh Club’ (Srinagar). ‘Gabfire’ was the branding partner and ‘Rampage Advertising Agency’ was the advertising partner.
Speaking on the occasion, ACT Chairman Mushtaaque Ali Ahmad Khan, who has led the organisation for over four decades as actor, director, set designer and organiser, said: “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.”
Distinguished guests
The show was attended by a good number of politicians, bureaucrats, eminent artists, journalists and other dignitaries of the Valley, including 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.
50 years of glorious journey
In the last 50 years, ACT has produced more than two dozen major stage productions, many of which have won state and national-level awards. The organisation is known for strong content, powerful performances and socially relevant themes.
Major productions include ‘Jheel Bula Rahi Hai’, ‘Ek Potli Armanoon Ki’ (8 awards), ‘Taqdeer Saaz’ (9 awards), ‘Negative’ (the first-ever play on a floating stage in Dal Lake), ‘Sabarmati Ka Sant’, ‘Sanyasi’, ‘Pagla Ghoda’ and ‘Deewana Bana De’.
ACT has received more than a dozen prestigious awards in the last 20 years, including the Chinar Art Foundation Award, two Infotel Awards, the Athwas Award, and Awards of Excellence and Honour. Its plays have won Best Production, Best Direction and Best Set Design awards in festivals organised by the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages and Doordarshan.
A pioneer in creating platforms
ACT has organised three Spring Theatre Festivals, five editions of the Kashmir World Film Festival, now considered J&K’s largest film festival, two editions of Istaqbaal-e-Chilla-e-Kalan, the Jashn-e-Sheen Festival, and the first-ever three-day Kashmir Theatre Conference (Sept 11-13, 2026) with 24 theatre experts from Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Kashmir. ACT has also organised World Theatre Day on March 27 continuously for 21 years without a break.
The organisation has conducted workshops with NZCC Patiala and Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, managed campaigns for NTPC, the Tourism Department and AIRCEL, held drawing competitions for orphaned children after the COVID lockdown, and felicitated national icons like Naseeruddin Shah, Nandita Das, Ismail Darbar and others.
Golden Jubilee celebration highlights
●Felicitation of veteran artists, writers and founding members of ACT
● Cultural performances, music and excerpts from landmark ACT plays
● Release of Golden Jubilee Souvenir and Documentary on 50 Years of ACT
● Announcement of Future Vision: ACT FOR A BETTER TOMORROW
Vision for the next 10 years (2026-2036)
On this historic occasion, ACT Patron Sayed Humayun Qaisar announced its roadmap for the next decade:
● ACT Academy of Performing Arts: structured training in theatre, music, dance and film
● ACT Youth Leadership Centre: leadership, skill development and women empowerment
● ACT Archive of Kashmiri Theatre: digital preservation of 50 years of history
● 50 Plays for 50 Years Project: 50 plays across J&K and Delhi
● Social initiatives aligned with 12 SDGs in education, health, gender equality, environment, and welfare of the specially abled, orphans and senior citizens
The prominent guests who graced the occasion included Tanvir Sadiq, Syed Basharat Bukhari and others.
Felicitation of press and media members
As a token of gratitude and appreciation, ACT felicitated almost all the journalists of Kashmir from print, electronic and digital media with a memento.
For the last few decades, the media fraternity has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with ACT, giving voice to its plays, festivals and social initiatives. This felicitation was our humble way of saying thank you for being the true partners in our 50-year journey of ACT FOR A BETTER TOMORROW.
Vote of thanks
The organisation expressed heartfelt gratitude to the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, Sangeet Natak Akademi, NZCC, the media fraternity, sponsors, artists and the people of Kashmir for their continuous love and support for 50 years.
