"Nautanki may become extinct without patronage"

HE is a man of the masses and, indeed, sab se bada nautankibaaz. Nautanki may be loosing its mass appeal in the absence of any recognition from the establishment but Urmil Kumar Thapliyal is relentlessly working to keep this age-old tradition alive.

The invasion of television and modern theatre pose a grave danger to this form of art but a committed band of artistes under the aegis of Darpan is leaving no stone unturned to keep Nautanki alive as one of the strongest mass media, especially in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Thapliyal has worked relentlessly to showcase the full potential of this form. He has entertained and informed audiences all over the country. Harish Chander Ki Ladai directed and written by him not only created history for this form of musical drama as it has run of over a decade but made people sit up and take notice of the impact of this form of art.

Thapliyal has been attached to the stage since 1964 when he migrated to Lucknow after the completion of his studies in Dehradun. But he is not among those who can be confined within any sort of boundaries. He has made the whole country his karambhoomi (work place). Thapliyal was in Chandigarh in connection with a global youth theatre workshop conducted by Chandigarh Institute of Performing Arts recently.

Excerpts of an interview with Jaya Bhardwaj:

Are you satisfied with the present status of Nautanki?

Yes, to some extent, because the establishment may not be patronising but the art is certainly and widely accepted by the common man. The attitude of consecutive governments at the Centre or in the states has been negative to this classical mode of theatre. It has,thus, been denied its due. Had I not performed once in New Delhi, I too would not have been identified nationally. I feel there is one major problem -- the Nautanki and its artistes are not only seen with disrespect but derogatory expressions have also been attached to this rich cultural heritage of the country. Our irony is that we feel that culture is what is accepted or approved by the urban populace or the elite.

You said Nautanki is a classical form of theatre. But are you sure on that?

Yes. Classical is what has its own set of rules and certain discipline. In Nautanki, too, strict discipline is required. The tragedy is that those who grant the certificates to any art in a classical or folk form feel it to be of a low class. In fact, Nautanki has more technicalities than the so-called classical dance Kathak, which hardly has any discipline or rules. For instance, the Kathak starts with That and there is no set norm to perform it during a recital. Some dancers create its movement with their hand and some with their foot. How can such a dance be classical when it does not specify how the first alphabet should be written? I have discovered during my analysis on Nautanki that it has its set and specified norms and discipline.

Has the original form of Nautanki been saved, or has it improved with time?

Not much has changed in the original form which originated from the Braj area of UP. Hathras can be identified as the native place for Nautanki. It is basically a musical form which has its roots in Khyal gaiki supplemented by Ras Parampra of Vrindavan. With the passage of time, Nautanki spread to the other parts of the country. The Kanpur Nautanki improved the form of the medium adding an urban touch to it, and incorporated the latest techniques of theatre. But the improved form is certainly not strong enough in conveying its message to the audience as it was the case in the rustic form. It has brought a lot of distortion to the medium. Nautanki may be a crude form of expression but this is what makes it original.

What about the instruments used during the performance?

The medium is best expressed through traditional instruments -- nakkara and jheel. Both these instruments emit natural sounds. Nakkara is a big drum and jheel is a smaller one. They coordinate with the artistes in a natural way and there is no need to bring them at a par with the human voice as is the case with harmonium and tabla.

What is your latest poetic satire?

In my latest poetic satire the artist sings with gestures:

Baikhunth main ja kar Banvari
gauon ko charana bhool gaye
Makhan ka churana yaad raha
banshi ka bajana bhool gaye
Pahle janta ke meet the tum
par ab sarkari lagte ho
Pahle girdhari lagte the
ab Atal Behari lagte ho.

Now until the particular person mentioned in the poetry remains in power it has its relevance but later I will have to change it. Life has forced me to indulge in theatre and poetry of the moment.

What purpose can be served to society by using traditional stories of Laila- Majnu or Romeo- Juliet in Nautanki?

(Angrily) Who says this? Harish Chander ki Ladai was created in the context of contemporary situations prevailing in society. It is not to convey the traditional message of speaking the truth but to wage a war against hypocrisy and social evil. It is not a gimmick but a serious attempt to provide an impetus to the universal value of truth. Even traditional fiction has its relevance Who can deny the relevance of Laila-Majnu even today? It is basically the involvement of the masses that makes anything relevant or irrelevant.

Has the media invasion affected the popularity of Nautanki?

Not to a great extent. The audience of the traditional dances and folk medium is entirely different. One thing that has really affected the folk viewers is that now people don’t get enough time for these performances since they watch TV at length. The artistes too are now more attracted towards the electronic media and only very few of them are interested in folklores.

What according to you is required to make Nautanki come alive?

The foremost requirement is the patronage of the establishment and availability of funds. The shortage of funds limit the artistes to perform in their areas only.

With funds at their disposal they would move around spreading the message and tradition to every nook and corner of the country. Nautanki should have an exposure on the small screen as well so as to attract newcomers. The elite too should acknowledge the significance of the medium rather than dismissing it outright. There should be more effort to inculcate the spirit among the youth towards their heritage and tradition.

Has the impact of West and the invasion of electronic media posed any danger to the folk arts?

Our heritage is under a grave threat from the West. The Nautanki may become extinct with the passage of time.

The younger generation is being lured away from folk arts. I am not much in favour of the medium adopting the western traditions or its effects. I very sincerely feel that would amount to adulteration as it has happened in case remixed folk songs. What I want is an immediate attempt to save original forms of our folk culture before it is too late.

What are the efforts required to save Nautanki and how effective have your efforts been?

The scene is really very dismal not only for Nautanki but for other folk forms as well. It requires immediate attention to save it from being overwhelmed by western influences. I would suggest that the universities and other voluntary organisations should come forward to protect our heritage as it happened in Punjab where a lot of research work has been done in folk culture. In most other states, the attitude of the government is totally negative towards folk culture.

In these states, these forms are merely mediums of entertainment. The government should launch a massive rehabilitation and revival campaign to save our traditional forms. Otherwise, they will become extinct. And that would be the most unfortunate thing to happen.