Be it a Gujarati Sugam Sangeet event or Gujarati drama event or any kind of Gujarati literary event, you would hardly find youths there. You would of course found them at Rock concert, Bollywood functions and any kind of entertainment or literary event where something Hindi or English is in air. If this scenario is bad and common in Ahmedabad, sadly, it is even worse and more common in Mumbai. This may hit the future of everything that involves Gujarati language, be it a Gujarati book or Gujarati drama.

“Every Sunday only eight to ten thousand Gujaratis come to watch Gujarati drama in Mumbai. This is just not enough considering the huge population of Gujarati in Mumbai. But the fact is that the youth is completely absent in auditorium. Most of the time we find, there is not a single youth in the auditorium to watch Gujarati drama,” Gujarati drama’s one of the most celebrated artist and director Siddharth Randeriya said in Ahmedabad talking to DeshGujarat last Sunday.

“Earlier we used to find youths visiting Gujarati dramas. But after the onset of English medium schools and closure of Gujarati schools in Mumbai, the youth audience is completely absent.We find our most of the audience in age group of 38-60. Sometimes it seems, Gujarati theater is completely irrelevant for Gujarati youths.” Randeria added.

“Marathi theater still enjoys presence of youth audience. A Marathi boy would study in English medium school but he would participate in every type of Marathi cultural activity. Such proud feeling for our own culture is absent in Gujarati youths,” he further added.

Later speaking at prize distribution ceremony of Gujarat Samachar – INT inter college drama competition in Ahmedabad’s Thakorbhai Desai hall, Randeria said, “Last year Gujarati language department was closed in colleges of Mumbai University. From 60s to 90s, Mumbai’s Kala Kendra inter college Gujarati drama competition gave us actors like Pravin Joshi, Homi Wadia, Paresh Raval, Kanti Madiya, Shailesh Dave, Bharat Dave, Prabodh Joshi, Tiku Talsania, Sujata Joshi, Latesh Shah, Suresh Rajda, Siddharth Randeria. But today if we organize inter college Gujarati drama competition in Mumbai, the idea attracts hardly five entries. And we work hard to convince two of them to stay in competition so that we can decide three winners and continue with the competition idea. This is sad situation, because in Marathi almost two dozens drama competitions are held. And some competitions like a competition organized by BEST attracts as many as 50 entries.”