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My son should get more than 100 per cent marks." Those were the dying words of his mother. And since then noted playwright and director Dr Atamjit has been trying his utmost to fulfil his mother’s wish, constantly raising the bar to become what his mother wanted him to be, a cut above the rest. So, does the recent milestone the Sahitya Akademi award that he has received for his significant play Tatti Tawi Da Sach signal that moment? He smiles, "My job is to take the examination, not give myself marks. The assessment of my work and its mettle I leave to others." In fact, by the same rationale, he can’t even say whether the play that has won him the coveted honour is his best work. Yes, he does feel that Sahitya Akademi award should be given for an entire body of a writer’s work, not just for one literary creation. To those who think a play should not aspire to be part of literature, he retorts, "Lyricism, narrative and drama—all three are established literary modes of expression." Besides, he deems that a play allows more room to a writer to flex his literary muscle. On whether a play is meant to be seen or read, he quips, "Anything which is seen is first read." In any case, his plays are being read by students at six universities, including GND University, Amritsar, Punjabi University, Patiala, as well as students of Punjabi at Delhi University. He qualifies that what you read belongs to the writer and what is staged is the director’s play. Since he is both a director and a playwright, is there an ongoing tussle between the two or one goes into hibernation when the other is active? Interestingly, he confesses that when he writes, the director within him is constantly guiding and while directing, the writer won’t let him be merciless with the written word. This dual role, he asserts, is both his strength and weakness. Of course, a writer of about 30 plays, he considers himself essentially a playwright. Is it because writing is easier in the sense that it is an exercise in solitude and unlike theatre is not dependent on others and doesn’t call for teamwork? He nods and adds, "In India, a director not only directs but has to take care of so many peripheral jobs." That is why he finds it simpler to direct in foreign lands, like he recently staged Ghadar Express at Sacramento, USA, where he doesn’t have to go into the nitty-gritty of organising details. For someone who saw his mother lose her mind and life to theatre — she became obsessively involved with the character of a mad woman — the world of make-believe should have been his last choice. Indeed, he reveals, "Theatre began as a disease. Thereafter, it became panacea. Today, make no mistake I think theatre is a weapon." The might of his pen has
undeniably, over the years since 1974, when he wrote his first play
Kabristaan, undergone a cataclysmic change. Once he was known as a
writer of absurd theatre`85even though he qualifies, "I only write
about the absurdities of life." Right now, substantial historical
facts seem to engage him as he is unfurling and uncovering the hidden
pages of history. The awarded play Tatti Tawi Da Sach throws new
light on the momentous moment of history — the martyrdom of Guru Arjan
Dev Ji — in which he turns around the established thesis that Chandu
Shah was the sole instigator that led to Jehangir’s despotic decision.
Mungu Comrade tells the tale of unsung hero Kenyan Sikh freedom
fighter Makhan Singh, few are aware of. Ghadar Express is about
the revolutionary Gadar party, but once again with greater spotlight on
lesser known Theatre or art for that matter, he knows too well, cannot revolutionise the world. But in the highly conflicting times that we live in, he asserts, "It does clear the air and creates more oxygen." In the process, if some among the intolerant and the bigoted tribe find it difficult to breathe, he couldn’t care less. Willing, nay daring, to state facts as they are, rather ought to be, he says, "I am not scared easily." With mission impossible — remember the mantra of life he received from mother dearest — as his goal anything is possible in his lexicon. Learning how to transform hopelessness into hope early on in life, his writings continue to bristle with the message of optimism and humanism.
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