Bhubaneswar: State govt has approved a proposal to establish an outreach centre of National School of Drama (NSD) in Bhubaneswar to promote and expand Odia theatre. Initially, the centre will operate from a temporary location at Guru Kelu Charan Mohapatra Odissi Research Centre here.
Culture minister Suryabanshi Suraj said this development represents a significant achievement for Odisha, providing valuable opportunities for students interested in theatre and acting. The minister said the NSD outreach centre will contribute substantially to the development of Odia theatre, helping to showcase regional stories and traditional performances at national and international levels.

The establishment of the outreach centre resulted from discussions between chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi and culture minister Suraj. The minister, emphasising the cultural significance, said theatre plays a vital role in preserving and transmitting Odisha’s cultural heritage, historical narratives, artistic expressions and literary traditions across generations. “Establishment of the (NSD) outreach facility will stimulate and enhance the development of theatrical productions in the Odia language,” he added.
He further said the outreach centre will provide high-quality training, allowing students to represent Odisha on national and international platforms through theatrical performances. “The new outreach centre in Odisha aims to advance Odia culture, with a particular focus on its theatrical heritage,” he added.
Surya Mohanty, NSD alumnus and a veteran theatre personality, said govt’s decision to establish an outreach centre of NSD is a welcome step. Manoj Pattanayak, another theatre personality, welcomed the decision and said the centre should be given all required support to grow.
NSD, established in Delhi in 1959, has operated independently under the ministry of culture since 1975. Actor Paresh Rawal is the NSD chairperson, while noted actor Chittaranjan Tripathy, an Odisha native, is its director. Several distinguished actors from Odisha, including Bijay Mohanty and Ajit Das, graduated from NSD. NSD has centres in Sikkim, Bengaluru and Varanasi. It also has a Theatre-In-Education (TIE) wing at Agartala, Tripura.