Dehradun, March 26
With space for art and culture shrinking, the Dehradun theatre has been the first casualty. It has succumbed to institutional decay after trail-blazing success in the seventies and eighties.

With audiences turning away from “real performing arts” and incoherent government policies, theatre activists keen on keeping the theatre movement afloat find themselves at the receiving end.

Today, theatre survives in Dehradun only due to individual effort and support by organisations. As the Uttarakhand Natya Parishad plans to mark the World Theatre Day today staging several plays, it will be an uphill task to draw audiences out of their plush confines to view the plays.

What ails Dehradun theatre? Critics say dearth of good scripts, institutional support and constraint of resources are some of the reasons that have dealt a blow to the once popular means of entertainment. Battling viewers’ apathy with the coming up of numerous TV channels, the theatre today is in need of radical ideas that would breath fresh life into it.

“Though there is no dearth of talent in Dehradun, commitment is missing. We need serious actors who will give first preference to theatre and are ready to learn instead of taking the shorter route to films through the TV,” said Surinder Bhandari, a theatre artiste.

Things were not always this bad. Great performances, author-backed scripts and commitment towards bringing about change was fuel for the theatre movement in Dehradun.

The audiences came in droves to watch their favourite artistes and directors for live wire performances. A potpourri of several communities and cultures give the city a unique cosmopolitan identity and the credit for raising the consciousness towards art and cultural activities goes to the Bengali community that settled here after the head office of the Survey of India was shifted from Kolkata to Dehradun in the last century.

“During Durga Puja, mythological and historical plays were staged by the Bengali community settled here. Some historians maintain that Shaheed Bhagat Singh also staged a street play here,” said Ram Prasad Sundriyal ‘Anuj’, a veteran artiste.

The artistes from Kolkata found Dehradun a fertile ground for setting into motion a modern theatre movement; soon plays began to be staged in Hindi. Soon Bengali and local artistes enlivened the theatre environment in the city.

The turning point came in 1979 when a theatre workshop was held by famed theatre personality Bansi Kaul under the aegis of the Uttar Pradesh Natya Akademi.

“For the first time, the people of Dehradun were exposed to the likes of Bansi Kaul, Urmil Thapliyal and Rajender Singh, legends in their own right. During the course of the workshop, Suraj Ka Satvan Ghora, a play based on the novel by Dharamveer Bharti, was staged at the open-air theatre of Rangers Ground.

“It was a novel experience for the audience. Local artistes and technician learnt a lot by way of stage craft and the basics of acting,” said Ram Prasad Thapliyal.

Soon Dehradun artistes immersed themselves in a flurry of activity aimed at giving a direction to the Dehradun theatre. It further got strengthened with the formation of a theatre group in 1978 called “Vatayan.”

It staged the first play, Asha Ka Ek Din, based on Mohan Rakesh’s novel and was again directed by Bansi Kaul. Stage actor Gajender Verma played the lead. During the same period, ‘Laash’ based on the story of Subash Pant, was staged with Himani Shivpuri and Ram Prasad Sundriyal ‘Anuj’ in the lead roles.

In fact, Hindi film actress Himani Shivpuri tested her acting skills while being part of the Dehradun theatre group. She later carved her career in the Hindi cinema and television.

During that period, several Bengali directors like Ajay Chakravorty and Ashok Chakravorty came up with several plays for which there was no dearth of audience. It was the high point for Doon theatre. Later, Raja Ka Bagh and Aam Log were staged which generated a lot of awareness among the masses making them aware of burning issues.

During that period, the plays were staged at Nari Shilp College Auditorium, ONGC Auditorium and the Nehru Yuva Kendra Centre.

“In fact, the Nehru Yuva Kendra, reverberating with people interested in theatre activities, emerged the Mandi House of Dehradun. “All theatre wallahs hung around here. The in charge of the kendra very generously gave us space for practice sessions, but in the mid nineties after the kendra moved out, the theatre wallahs disintegrated. Till date no place has emerged as a hangout for theatre wallahs,” said Gajender Verma.

Though artistes maintain live stage is difficult to resist and it always ends up scoring over TV and films, there are few takers for the theatre in the long run. “The eighties were different. We had ideology to back our theatre claims. Most of us were into theatre because we pursued it as a hobby.

“We were so hung up on ideals and fired with the thought of making a difference to society, that nothing mattered. That kind of commitment is missing in the present generation,” averred Roshan Dhasmana, film and theatre personality.

Theatre audiences blame the general decline in values and beliefs. “A full-fledged theatre movement can only be sustained if there is general interest in intellectual pursuits. The artists too are a divided lot, all seeking to outdo one another when it comes to hogging the limelight.

The government is to be blamed for carrying forward a vision-less policy that has no place for serious theatre activists. For the future of theatre, the government should frame a policy that is in the interest of artistes and is above favouritism and nepotism,” said Ram Prasad Sundriyal, who after lying low plans to stage Ajanabi Sheher based on Jitender Thakur’s story.

Dehradun, March 26
Actively involved in theatre activities for the last six years, Abhishek Maindola is among the young breed of enthusiasts carrying forward the theatre movement in Doon.

His inspiration are common men and women and their experiences that are invariably woven in the narratives of plays directed by him.

“They are people whom I encounter everday when going to work or while sitting in park.

“Recently, we staged a play, Apekshit Kinnar,

highlighting the plight of eunuchs who are shunned by society. We took the help of Rajni Rawat who stood in the mayoral elections,” said Maindola.

Optimistic about the future of theatre, Maindola says that the city has a conducive environment for it. “I don’t think that TV will wipe us out completely.

“The three mediums (films, TV and theatre) are different but stage being a live medium will always attract a sizeable audience,” he said.

He has created his own theatre body, Sambhav Manch Parivar, to strengthen his commitment to theatre. “I hail from an Army background, it was a career that I would have opted for had I not become engrossed with stage plays,” he explained.

Along with a group of seven, he participates in awareness campaigns by staging street plays on burning issues. “So far, we have staged several plays for the AIDS Control Society and other social organisations, earnings from which go towards strengthening our theatre organisation,” he said. 

Haridwar, March 26
The annual results of Rajkiya Ayurvedic College, Gurukul Kangri, under the Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, have not gone down well with the students, as only 14 out of the total 92 have passed.

The irate students today staged a dharna on the college premises and submitted a memorandum to the principal that was signed by the 2005 and 2007 batch students.

Students are blaming the university authorities for the bad results and allege that the papers were not in accordance with the varsity pattern. They said the principal of the college was apprised about it earlier, but no action was taken.

“The university has no certain pattern for the BAMS course, which is causing problems for students. Even meritorious students have secured only 25 per cent marks,” said Urvashi Naithani, a 2005 batch student.

Students also point to the improper manner in which the answersheets were checked. A second-year student of 2007 batch Alka Raj, who has come from Pauri to study here, said: “Wrong pattern coupled with improper checking has led to this situation. Now, our career depends on clearing supplementary exams. I hope the re-examinations are held.”

The students state that in this regard they had written a letter dated 16 December 2008 in which they had stated their complaint and reason of papers not being in accordance with the pattern. The students are demanding that if the annual result is not declared as null and void then they will have to boycott the classes and will leave the studies mid-way if they have to face such ignominy and apathy from their own college officials. Principal DN Sharma of the Ayurvedic college when questioned said that the college administration is looking into the matter but refuted the students allegations of college administration not paying attention to the students woes.