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Theatre Cafe - Issue 3 - Year 1
Theatre Cafe - Issue 3 - Year 1
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individual. Call it their hard work, dedication or good networking skills, but the theatre group has made quite a good name for itself in a short span of time since its inception in 2007. The group has staged shows in Goa, Gujarat, Ahmadabad, Delhi, Diu, Mumbai and Rajasthan. Their latest production Gandhi Se Pehle Gandhi was staged at the recently concluded Kala Ghoda Festival in Mumbai. The play based on
the life and struggles of the tribal leader Birsa Munda received a lot of critical acclaim and applause. I can easily call Kala Ghoda as the biggest platform I have performed at till date. It was an amazing experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it, adds Ayatullah. Ask him why he chose Mumbai to start his group and he says, Mumbai is the hub for professional theatre. For an actor or director, there is endless number of opportunities here. Plus, you meet a lot of like-minded creative people, who lead you in the right direction. Coming from a family, where Government jobs were considered as the safest career bet, Khan had a difficult time convincing his family for his unconventional career choice. Initially my family was reluctant. But as they saw my work and my growing passion for the field, they gradually accepted it, signs off Khan. For more details about the group, visit https://www.facebook.com/ RangrezTheatre l
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Kirti Arora
High spirited audience cheering the performance of a live music concert/ band with roaring applause. Thats how one can aptly define the music scene of Delhi, where a large number of music concerts are regularly organized throughout the year. Music genre could be varied but loyal fans are always first to reach the venue. That pretty much talks about the passion of Delhiites for their music. This time around too, Delhiites had a reason to revel with the twoday celebration of Sufi Sindhi Festival on 16th & 17th March at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts. The show was an initiative Delhis Government department of Arts, Culture and Languages in association with Sindhi Academy. One the first evening of the festival, Sufi singers Ghansham Vasvani from Mumbai, Uma Lalla from Delhi and Sanam Marvi from Pakistan presented a glimpse of Sindhi culture with their soulful Sufi renditions. Along with them, Delhi-based Kathak dancer Namrata Pamnani also enchanted the audience with graceful dance moves. Pakistan-born Sanam Marvi has quite a following in India too, which were present in large numbers at the show. Audience that comprised many from the Sindhi community danced to
Perspectives
by local bodies like the Maharashtra Mandal or then invitations at festivals or collaborative works between theatre groups or exchanges at the academic level through Universities etc. In most of these cases, the host countries are humble enough to take care of local hospitality and lodging and boarding and they are known to do this with lan, but more often than not, expect the travel to be taken care of by the visiting team. In budgets of universities, or larger, prosperous theatre groups this eventuality is foreseen and made provisions for. But the ones that face the brunt are the upcoming groups, who have a locally well received performance in place, a foreign invitation typed out, but are crushed for funds to travel. They are already burdened trying to make ends meet and then this attractive offer. They are then faced with a desperate option to approach cultural government bodies like the ICCR, processing through which is not necessarily a cake walk, ridden with paperwork and red-tape. Alternatively they approach corporate houses or sympathetic builders, but this comes with tags which are difficult to tackle. The third option is to pass the hat and take whatever comes from
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T h e early years of Modern M a r a t h i theatre were exciting, not only for the variety of productions Dr. Ajay Joshi up for viewing, but also the fact that many of them, took flight to foreign shores for staging. Many plays had their tryst abroad, and stories of the hardships they faced to gather funds to reach there, did the rounds in theatre circles. Over the past couple of years, I notice a similar voyage of young theatre groups, as they travel abroad with their productions. It sounds very encouraging and a definite climb in their growth chart, adding bulk to their resumes. But the struggles to fund their journeys remain. Seeing them pull and push their resources to make this dream travel realise, at one end I feel pity but at the other wonder about the need for all this. At the same time it raises many questions which I wish to pen here. Performances travelling abroad usually are the behest of invitations
relatives, friends and well-wishers. Here there is an obligation and often embarrassment. Lastly though a tricky proposition is to take a bank loan! All this with a heart burn and a desperate struggle to make it realise. The lament is universal and definitely hovers like the sword of Damocles, above the heads of budding artistes. For argument sake I shall restrict this discussion to the younger groups. Seeing this desperate situation, I wonder whether travelling abroad is such a crucial thing? Groups do not necessarily cling together for long, dispersing as opportunities beckon. So for a group this travel may not hold much water except the charm and a momentary kick, of having performed abroad. For even when they go for jobs or do the rounds for their break in the industry, it is their talent which will see them through more than whether they have travelled abroad with their production. What then does one achieve by travelling abroad? So much effort is put in to gather funds that they do not dare to venture into this escapade again. Can this money collected (continued on page 8)
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Hauns Sangeet Natya Mandal, more popularly known as Hauns, is one of the oldest theatre group active in Goan theatre circuit producing quality plays every year and carrying out various activities to promote and sustain theatre movement in Goa. Hauns Sangeet Natya Mandal was established in the year 1950, when Goa was still under Portuguese regime, by legendary theatre artist Vishwanath Naik (1935-2003) along with his friends passionate for theatre. It is often said that its very rare to find a Goan who hasnt acted in a play or two in his lifetime. Goas love for theatre knew no leaps and bounds during that time. Considering this factor, Mr. Vishwanath and troupe started staging popular Marathi musical classics such as Saubhadra, Matsyagandha, Maanapmaan, Saunshaykallol etc which got traction from the theatre hungry audience of Goa. The group would travel lengths and breadth of Goa performing these plays at various occasions in the stage set up in front of the village temples. Soon, Hauns became a leading theatre company in Goa. Vishwanath Naiks love for theatre didnt stop at only producing and staging plays but he also went ahead to set up a performing space called Hanuman Theater in Ponda city, with a seating capacity of around 1000 people and arranged ticketed shows of Marathi plays from outside Goa, mainly from Mumbai and Pune. This venture of his laid the foundation in creating and cultivating a mature theatre audience Goa. In the year 1989, Vishwanath Naik
By this time, the second generation of Hauns had already taken over the charge. Vishwanath Naiks four sons Somnath, Ravindra, Dilipkumar and Vijaykumar brought their fresh vision on the table. Hauns is well known for having nurtured its own playwrights and it has been a tradition of Hauns till date to stage atleast one new play every year. Hauns home grown playwrights Somnath Naik, Late Dilipkumar Naik, Vijaykumar Naik, Vishnu Surya Wagh are considered to be most influential playwrights in Goa. Vijaykumar Naik, youngest son of Vishwanath Naik, took formal training in theatre arts at Goa Kala Academys Faculty of Drama began his own theatre training school named Hauns Theater Training Center, which has been working for popularizing theatre amongst children and youth through workshops and productions for last 18 years. He has conducted several workshops in Goa for children, students of Deaf & Dumb school and young students. The training centre every year carries out a project called Rangyatra, a theatre talent hunt across Goas colleges. 10 students (continued on page 8)
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was neither common those days nor given much appreciation. So with support from my father, I founded Hauns Theater Training Center in 1993 to make people understand about various possibilities of theatre as a medium of personality development. These workshops helped me find a team which I was confident to work with, to do my kind of theatre, largely experimental. He started with theatre workshops for school children during summertime. Since there was absolute lack of such activities back then, the response he received for this initiative was tremendous. His summer workshops would go full house and still continue to be so. He focuses heavily on improvisations and on encouraging kids to discover their talents on their own instead of him telling them what to or not to do. Vijaykumars name has become synonymous with the children theatre movement in Goa. Working with kids has always been a joyride. It enriches me every single time. I have seen examples of kids who were low on self confidence but after they underwent training they performed fearlessly on stage. We used to improvise short stories that kids already knew and then perform them at various schools across Goa. We carried out a project called MEFT (Make Education Friendly through Theatre) wherein complex school
concepts like digestion processes, simultaneous equations, geographical concepts etc. were enacted through stories which dealt with day to day life, he tells. As a theatre trainer, Vijaykumar Naik has also worked with the children of The Deaf and The Dumbs School in Goa. He was invited to Daman & Diu to conduct similar workshops at the Umang festival organized by West Zone Cultural Centre, Udaipur. While narrating his experience with working with the differently abled students, he mentions that their theatre is totally about body language as thats their best gift to express themselves. Right from communicating with them to the performance, its all physical theatre. It has helped me a lot to develop my non-verbal theatre. Parallel to his ventures concerning the children theatre movement in Goa, he started writing one act and full length plays. He travelled extensively in his initial days in Maharashtra and Goa performing his one act plays in every possible competition and (continued on page 8)
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(continued from page 7) festival. Each new play is an experiment for me Says the proud producer of variety of experimental plays like Mukhavate, Kheliyela, Eklavya, Ek Adhuri Kahani etc. We just scaled up our craziness and staged a 45 minutes play called Amoort wherein there was not a single actor on the stage. The narrative was totally conveyed through set, lights, music and a few recorded dialogues. In 2004, we got an original manuscript of a play titled Ahilyotdhar written in 1870 by the Goan saint Krishna Bhatt Bandkar from Dongri village which we staged & completed its 27 shows. Another such attempt we did was to present Sarswat Champu, a work of Champu Literature written by Ramkrishna Shenvi Kakodkar in 1915 in form of a play. Of late I have been experimenting with non-verbal theatre and weve staged plays like ABCD, The Art, Dhwaneet, Vasundhara etc which emerged out of various music compositions he mentions. His passion for theatre is multifaceted. He has initiated several projects to promote theatre. He began Creative Theatre for Children & Youth under which he produced plays like Diary, Tisrya Dolyacha Chasma, Tyancha Hoto Khel that dealt with problems of teens and college going students. He spearheaded the Rangvishwa movement, wherein he was instrumental in creating a platform for independent performers in the field of theatre, music, literature and dance to showcase their talent. We also initiated a cultural exchange programs with other theatre groups to exchange and share the kind of theatre we do. It has been an amazing experience. For past 10 years, we have been associated with groups from Rajasthan, Calcutta, Kanakavali as well as Goa through this project. With all these dedicated efforts, his students are making him proud continuously at various fronts. Rajdeep Naik, Eknath Naik, Suchita Narvekar are totally dominating the professional theatre scene in Goa. Each of their play completes no less than 100 shows across Goa. Priyanka Bidaye and Avantika Kamat have appeared in films and television. Laukik Desai has been doing a commendable work in Theatre at Hyderabad. Mandar Jog & Nitesh Naik have been making a name for themselves as an actor in Goa and have won several awards and accolades for their performances. Aditi Barve, Ravindra Pawar, Vrushank Kanekar are some new age playwrights from Goa who were also my students. He has authored a book NatakAbhinay-Rangyatra, an informative guide on various aspects of theatre such as playwriting, direction, acting, make up, production design etc. He believes that it will be a very helpful resource for young theatre aspirants. For last couple of years he is largely occupied with his new project, Rangyatra which is a theatre talent hunt for the students of College and Junior Colleges in Goa. It includes workshops, seminars and theatre conventions. Each year the handpicked students are made part of a production which is performed at different venues in Goa as well outside Goa. The project has received a tremendous response from the interiors of Goa. Commenting about the theatre trends in Goa, he says Theatre of Goa has changed a lot for last two decades. It has come out of traditional notions and is becoming mature technically too. New playwrights are coming up with new subjects and forms of expression which is a positive sign. But they need a huge boost to keep the Goan theatre movement going. Goa needs small theatre spaces where amateur & experimental theatre groups can perform, more theatre training activities for youngsters, infrastructural support for existing theatre movement by the government & media. Its only then that Goas theatre will be recognized at the national and the international level. With so much work to his credit, Naik is still not a satisfied man! My infatuation with theatre is a never ending affair. Ive been doing that since my childhood and could never get tired of it. I am constantly in search of ideas to get more people involved in doing theatre. Working with youngsters and kids keeps my energy levels always high he adds. l
(continued from page 7) are selected under this project to be part of a theatre production which is performed across Goa, Maharashtra, Rajsthan and Calcutta. The 2012 production of Rangyatra, Majhya Manaa (My Dear Mind), has completed 25 performances. In the year 2000, Hauns celebrated its 50th anniversary and is now 63 years old and still going strong. The third generation of Hauns is now all set to take the organization to greater heights and spread the love and passion for theatre. l
Keyur Seta
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Proper training is essential to develop your skills towards a particular art. But for some, passion alone is enough. Urdu playwright, director and actor Dr M Sayeed Alam is one such artist who has made a name for himself in the Urdu theatre without acquiring training or even reading a single book on theatre. He disclosed this trivia about himself to Keyur Seta during his Urdu theatre festival that took place in Mumbai recently. Among other aspects of Urdu theatre and his biggest inspiration Mirza Ghalib, the multi-talented artist expresses his displeasure at some artists who prefer to call Urdu plays as Hindi plays. What is your background and how did you enter the field of theatre? Earlier, I wasnt so involved in theatre although I did plays during my school days. I was born in Faizabad. My father used to get transferred at nearby places like Basti and Lucknow. In fact, it was 40 years ago that I first performed my play Lal Qile Ka Aakhri Mushaira. But I didnt do theatre during my college days as I was into sports. Later when I migrated to Delhi, I lost connection with sports. Actually, I cant spend evenings at home. One day when I was out I met someone from Pierrots Troupe. They only used to do English plays then. That person said now they also wish to diversify to Urdu and Hindi. I just wrote a play Tumko Chahoon for them and they liked it. But this is one play for which I dont get much audience although critics love it (laughs). The play is adapted from Oriana Francis novel Letter To A Child Never Born. From there onwards, I did theatre as a hobby for 5-6 years as I was working as a journalist. I was India correspondent for Iranian News Agency from 1992 to 1999. I was also a university lecturer for three years. But soon I realized I had to choose either journalism or theatre. So I left journalism in 1999 and chose theatre. You havent undergone any training in theatre? No I havent. In fact, I have not even read a single book on theatre!
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Hindi during their childhood. Another issue is that due to our multi-lingual society, a language called Hinglish has developed which is dangerous. People should remember that if they are good in their mother tongue, they will automatically be good in a foreign or a second language. But the type of English todays generation speaks is really very funny! Due to this, you forget your own culture and heritage. I just love English language but it should be your second language. It shouldnt dissociate you from your language. So this problem is there. But anyways, theatre is a medium through which you can at least communicate in our languages. Considering your talent, you never thought of trying your hand at films? I would be lying if I say I never thought of it. But I am a lazy kind of
a person. I always thought that a big director should approach me and ask me to write a movie which never happened. I wont say that I dont like movies. Its just that I never tried searching for an opportunity. So if I am approached by a filmmaker to write a movie, I will go ahead. What are your forthcoming plays? Currently, we have 11 running plays. I believe a lot in rehearsal even if the play is 300 shows old. I am doing a couple of interesting things. I am adapting Maulana Azads book for a television serial for Doordarshan. I am also making a docu-drama on Ghalib. These are subjects which are normally not touched. Talking about staging a new play, it just happens. I have at least five plays in pipeline. We wish to do Shatranj Ke Khiladi in English and a play on Gujarat riots. I also wish to revive my play Tale Of The Taj. l
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In fact, it was his Bengali co-star Bidita Bag in Chokher Pani, who later suggested his name for the Hindi feature film titled From Sydney with Love. Following few meetings with director Prateek Chakroborty, Dweep had his first role in a Bollywood film. Though the film bombed at the box office but his role was much appreciated and even fulfilled his mothers dream of seeing him on big screen. Dweep sincerely thanks his theatre background, which he feels has played a major role in refining his acting skills. He started acting during his school days and has also been part of various theatre groups in Delhi like Bikalp, Jamia IPTA and Akriti. Also, he has been associated with the theatre group of Pravaah NGO. Theatre has made me a much more confident indi-
vidual, which is a very crucial ingredient for every actor, adds Debnath. And then, there was his training at FTII, where Dweep further learnt the finer nuances of acting. Some of the people, who made a major contribution to his work, include renowned teachers like Arvind Pandey, Adil Hussain and Alok Chatterje. Reminded of his FTII days, he adds, FTII days formed the most beautiful memories of my life. I have learned a lot from each and every teacher, including my batch mates as well, says Dweep. His admiration list is long and draws inspiration from stalwarts like Satyajit Ray, Spielberg, Guru Dutt, KimKi-Duk, Al Pacino, Abhay Deol, Mithun Chakroborty and many others. Ask him about what kind of roles would interest him and he says, Anything that gives immense satisfaction to me as an actor and as a performer. He further adds that acting is more about practising. Its
like polishing your shoes every day. Its an ability to react to an imaginary stimulation. Its also not about impressing others but more about accepting risks and going ahead with a lot of confidence, elaborates Dweep. The FTII pass out further feels that he is still a beginner in the field and has a long way to go. In fact, at the end of each days hard struggles, which are a staple in each actors life, he remains optimistic. He sums it all by quoting few lines from Charlie Chaplins biography My life: For an actor, the most important element when he or she is performing or acting, he/ she must love him/ herself. Only passion is not enough. Love and trust are equally important. l
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Reviews
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Keyur Seta
Writer-director Dr M Sayeed Alam achieves something unique by bringing Mirza Ghalib alive in his Urdu drama Ghalib Ke Khat without the character being present on stage at any moment. This was possible due to the precious letters of the great Urdu poet. But the presence of Ghalibs numerous wellwishers and their interactions make sure that the play cannot be termed merely a letter-reading session. Instead, it turns out to be an insight into Ghalibs life thereby making it a pleasing theatrical experience for the lovers of Urdu theatre. The play features letters of Mirza Ghalib which are read by the numerous people who are a part of his life, including his wife Umrao Begum, the central character, and his favorite disciple Munshi Har Gopal Taftah. The highlight of the play is the letters which produce a wide range of emotions including humor. Very soon you realize that these letters are truly precious, not just because they contain personal interactions of Ghalib but also due to its witty and rich language. This is something which makes you feel Ghalib despite his physical absence. There is a possibility that Alam might have tweaked the letters slightly but that was necessary to make sure they fall under theatrical parameters, if at all he has done that. As hinted earlier, the numerous amusing characters and the entertaining interactions between them play a vital role in producing the dramatic effect needed in a play, especially the constant nagging between Begum and their maid Wafadar. The writer has also taken care of the narration part by maintaining the sequence of the events well. However, there does come a moment where the proceedings threaten to become
redundant but the dramatically moving climax ensures you dont think about that. Set designing is simple but at the same time very effective and apt for the subject. It is not easy to create four different scenarios on one stage simultaneously and this is where the set designer scores. No stone is left
unturned in the costume department too which is vital in such period dramas. Perfect lighting and music complement the proceedings well. Playing the central character of Ghalibs wife, Jaskiran Singh is flawless. Her earnest performance is an important aspect of the play. Tom Alter once again shines with a brilliant act as Munshi Har Gopal Taftah. Anju Chhabra shines as Ghalibs maid. The play is wonderfully supported by Harish Chhabra, Dr M Sayeed Alam, Himanshu Srivastava, Ram N Diwakar and others. Overall, since Ghalib Ke Khat is more than mere letters, it deserves to be savored. l
Director and Writer: Dr M Sayeed Alam Cast: Jaskiran Singh, Tom Alter, Anju Chhabra, Harish Chhabra, Dr M Sayeed Alam, Himanshu Srivastava, Ram N Diwakar
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event of him becoming a drunkard isnt given much footage. However, due to the delightful nature of the play, these turn out to be just minor points that wont hamper your overall satisfaction. Coming to the set designing, the makers have left no stone unturned in providing the right props in each and every scene. High production values are visible due to this and also from the apt costumes and perfect lighting. Music plays an important part over here and the play scores very high in
that area too. There are some performances that force you to stand up and applaud the artist. Yashraaj Maliks performance over here is one such. The actor does complete justice to K L Saigals character, even as a singer. Despite a bravura act from the central character, Tom Alter manages to super impress as a narrator. His dedication is seen from the fact that he is constantly performing, from either side of the stage, even when the focus is not on him. Hareesh Chhabra also shines by playing five starkly different characters with remarkable ease. The play is also well supported by good acts from Vijay Gupta, Anju Chhabra, Ram N Diwakar, Dr M Sayeed Alam, Madeeha Sadaf, Manohar Pandey and others. Overall, K L Saigal is a delightful tribute to the acting and singing legend that shouldnt be missed! l
Director and Writer: Dr M Sayeed Alam Cast: Yashraaj Malik, Hareesh Chhabra, Vijay Gupta, Anju Chhabra, Ram N Diwakar, Dr M Sayeed Alam, Madeeha Sadaf
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