Every year, an esteemed assembly of renowned directors, actors and thespians convenes their appreciation for the "Ishrat Nishat Natya Puroskar" to honour the most promising theatrical plays, personalities and technicians of the country. 

This year is no different, as the committee declared their nominations in nine categories on Saturday at a press conference in Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

Announcing the official prize-giving ceremony of "Ishrat Nishat Natya Puraskar 2023" on February 9, the committee's executive committee chairman, Nasir Uddin Yousuff, along with chief coordinator Selina Shelley, declared the names of the nominated theatre personalities in categories of best in production, director, playwright, male actor, female actor, best light designer, set designer and music designer and costume designer.

Pioneering theatre troupe Prachyanat's play "Achalayatan", Tarua's play "Adam Surat" and Aarshinagar Dhaka's play "Siddhartha" were nominated for the Best Production award. Azad Abul Kalam for the play "Achalayatan", Bakar Bakul for "Adam Surat", and Reza Arif for "Siddhartha" have been nominated in the Best Director category. The Best Playwright nominees include Bakar Bakul for the play "Adam Surat", Sanjoy Sarker Muktonil for "Bhogoban Paliye Gechhe" and Shahaduz Zaman for "Najuk Manusher Shanglap".

The Best Male Actor nominees include Khairul Alam Himu for the play "Adam Surat", Proddut Kumar Ghosh for "Achalayatan" and Ramiz Razu for "Respectful Prostitute" while nominees in The Best Female Actor nominees include Fauzia Karim Anu for "Hermachis Cleopatra", Sanjita Sharmin for "Respectful Prostitute" and Sanjida Prity for "Achalayatan". The Best Set Designer nominees include Ahmed Opu for the play "Adam Surat", Charu Pintu for "Bhogoban Paliye Gechhe" and Saiful Islam for "Achalayatan".

The Best Light Designer nominees are Anik Kumar for the play "Siddhartha", Saiful Islam for "Achalayatan" and Hendry Sen for "Adam Surat" while nominees in the Best Music Designer are Jony Sen Rubel for "Bhogoban Paliye Gechhe", Neel Kamrul for "Achalayatan" and Samudro Probal for "Adam Surat". Ishrat Nishat Natya Puraskar has introduced the Best Costume Designer category this year. The nominees in the category include Afsan Anwar for the play 'Achalayatan', Enam Tara Saki for 'Adam Surat' and Jeenat Jahan Nisha and Nusrat Jahan Jisha for 'Siddhartha'.

A nine-member jury board comprising Shafi Ahmed, Kamaluddin Kabir, Haroon Ar Rashid Khan, Debaprosad Debnath, Hridi Haq, Fahmida Haq Koli, Sadhana Ahmed, Kha Ma Harun and Nazrul Kabir watched 33 plays staged in 2023 and evaluated the plays for Ishrat Nishat Natya Puraskar 2023. The Best Production award-winning theatre troupe will receive Tk 1,00,000 as prize money, while winners in other categories will receive Tk 25,000 each. Besides the prize money, each award winner will receive a crest, and each nominee will receive a certificate.

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Ishrat Nishat Natya Puraskar executive committee members, namely Lucky Enam, Masum Reza, Ehsanul Aziz Babu, Kamal Bayazid and others and the Jury board members, namely Debaprosad Debnath, Kha Ma Harun, Kamaluddin Kabir, Haroon Ar Rashid Khan and others were present at the press conference. The awards programme will be held at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on February 9.

The award was introduced in 2022 in memory of cultural activist Ishrat Nishat, who was associated with theatre troupe Desh Natak. Besides acting, she also gained acclaim as a theatre director and recitation artiste. She passed away on January 20, 2020.