Kolkata, Oct 6 (IANS): Renowned author Nabanita Dev Sen expressed happiness at the initiative to amalgamate art and theatre while inaugurating the Sudrak Natya Utsav at the Academy of Fine Arts.

"Usually theatre people mix with fellow artists, painters with fellow painters and so on and so forth. Everyone tends to stay within their own circle, but Sudrak has brought all of us together, which is a laudable effort," Sen said Friday.

Sudrak, established in 1977 is a theatre group based in the city that has had patrons like acclaimed movie director Satyajit Ray and famed painter Ganesh Pyne, among others.

The seven day Sudrak Natya Utsav will conclude Oct 12.

On the occasion of its 35th year, Sudrak has organised a festival which began with a painting exhibition Oct 3.

The inaugural function of the Natya Utsav began with an awards ceremony where the Sudrak Samman 2012 was bestowed on eminent artist Sanat Kar and well-known theatre personalities - Mohit Chattopadhyay (posthumously), Kaushik Sen, Suman Mukhopadhyay, Arpita Ghosh and Adhikary Kaushik.

"Art can progress only when there is an integration of all its forms," said Sanat Kar at the function.

As part of the Utsav, critically acclaimed plays like Draupadi by Manipur Kalakshetra and Dhaboman by Dhaka Theatre, Bangladesh will be staged.