[ Taba Ajum ]
ITANAGAR, 12 Sep: In a remarkable achievement, Riken Ngomle of Arunachal has become the first from the state to be appointed as assistant professor (acting) at the prestigious National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi.
Ngomle, who hails from Hime village in Lower Siang district, had earlier worked as an assistant professor in the theatre arts department of the University of Hyderabad for four years.
He is a product of the NSD and pursued advanced training in acting at Studio Matejka, Grotowsky Institute, Poland, after graduating in acting from the NSD.
Ngomle did his schooling from the government higher secondary school in Likabali and graduated from DNG College, Itanagar.
Speaking to this daily, he expressed hope that his achievement would inspire young Arunachalees.
“I studied mostly at government institutions. I am the first generation to graduate from my entire family. Despite so much difficulty, with sheer dedication and hard work, I have managed to get the job of assistant professor at NSD,” said Ngomle.
He also said that Arunachal is lacking in the development of theatre as a subculture.
“Manipur and Assam are ahead of us in this field. Theatre art is a powerful instrument for effective communication in the process of development and social change. It plays a crucial role in the evolution of society and democracy too,” he said.
Ngomle said he would work hard to uplift theatre arts in Arunachal.
“I request the young people of the state to take acting, theatre and cinema seriously. They should go outside the state to study these subjects. In recent years, I have witnessed an increase in the number of trained actors/artists who have passed out from premier institutions like the NSD, the FTII Pune and the Hyderabad Central University. These are encouraging signs,” said Ngomle.
He also appealed to the state government to promote theatre activities in the state. “The government should consider taking progressive steps to promote theatre activities and recognize theatre as an important subject in the academic field, just like music, dance, fine arts, etc. For a vibrant society, theatre arts can play a very important role,” said Ngomle.
He praised the works of some talented actors of the state who learned acting under his guidance. “Goge Bam, Palin Kabak, Kennedy Zirdo, Taba Reema and Rilli Ngomle are all doing wonderfully. Palin is one of the main actors in Amar Kaushik’s Bollywood movie Bhediya. Kennedy’s role in a Malayalam movie, Android Kunjappan Version 5.25, as the female lead was admired across the country,” added Ngomle.
He said he wishes to see a branch of the NSD here in the state, and appealed to Chief Minister Pema Khandu to explore the possibility of pursuing the matter.
