Lucknow, Nov 16 (IANS): A five-day Kabir Festival will open in Lucknow on Friday at the UP Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Two plays with women in key roles, along with music, dance and film shows and an art workshop will be the highlight of the event.

The first play ‘Lal Ded’ written in Hindi, English and Kashmiri will be staged on Friday by renowned actor Mita Vashisht, who has also directed the play.

Besides, the play ‘Standup with D girls’ written and directed by Rashika Agashe will be staged on Saturday.

The entry to the festival is free but there are tickets to watch the plays.

Organised to promote 15th century poet and Sufi saint Kabir’s philosophy of communal amity and rational thinking, the festival will begin with a performance by music composer Sheikh Mohammad Ibrahim, followed by Kathak performance as part of the musical evening ‘Shaam-e-Malang’ that will be held daily.

A live painting workshop on cricket to mark ICC men’s cricket World Cup finals will be held on Sunday.

Two award winning films produced and directed by renowned theatre artists Asmit Pathare and Purva Naresh, respectively, will be screened on Tuesday. The festival will end with a band performance based on the poetry of Nazir Akbarabadi by ‘Khel Tamasha Band’.

Started in 2016 to celebrate communal amity, composite culture and rational attitude, the festival will be organised after a gap of three years, said one of the founding members, Veena Rana.

Another founding member Sangita Jaiswal said film and theatre personalities and social activists, including Bezwada Wilson, Bhanwari Devi and Dhruv Sangri, have been part of the last four seasons.