JHARSUGUDA: Over a decade ago, Sonia Behera was among the audience at a school function in Belpahar, captivated by a stage performance she had never imagined would one day shape her life as the fascination turned into a historic achievement. On Thursday, the 25-year-old became the first woman from Odisha to secure admission to the prestigious three-year Diploma in Dramatics programme at the National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi.
Securing 80.05 percentile after clearing a multi-stage selection process, Sonia secured the eighth rank in the All India merit list of NSD. The selection process included preliminary screening, theatre workshops, practical exercises, and personal interviews held at the NSD campus in New Delhi between June 14 and 19.
Speaking to TNIE, Sonia said the achievement was beyond what she had imagined when she first stepped into theatre. “I feel very proud. When I started doing theatre, I had never imagined that I would one day make it to NSD. It still feels unreal,” she said.
The eldest among five siblings, Sonia’s interest in theatre was sparked in 2015 after she watched Lal Paen being staged during a school programme by the Mirror Theatre Group in Jharsuguda. She was not part of the troupe then, but the performance left a lasting impression and motivated her to join the group later that year.
Over the last 11 years, Sonia has featured in several acclaimed productions by the group, including Lal Paen, ULPI, April-27, Badakha Dada, Pachen, Ramadevi, Tor Jhumka, Tor Kiriya, Bhokara Aneka Ranga, and Panata Kani.
