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Beneath Balwant Thakur’s affable demeanour lurks a resolve of steel. And it’s his never-say-die spirit that gives him the strength to be a fulltime theatreperson. That, too, in a city like Jammu, where conditions for artistes, to put it mildly, are far from amenable. Yet, Thakur has not only made his theatre group Natrang a force to reckon with but also created audiences for theatre in a place where people are more accustomed to curfews and disturbances rather than dramas and plays.
Carving a niche for Dogri theatre with the play Bawa Jitto, he has indeed come a long, long way from the time when he opened his first play in Jammu with just 10 persons as an audience to the packed halls of today. He smiles, "I guess originality pays." There is little doubt that Thakur is an original in more ways than one. A law graduate and postgraduate in mass communications, whose theatre productions in his college days were labelled as being ‘professional’, he has to his credit 150 plays with 5000 shows. With no theatre degree to propel him forward, he has learnt the wondrous art of make-believe on his own. And how well has he, a recipient of the Ford Foundation Grant Award for his research project "search for new theatre language", optimised the use of body language is evident time and again. In the much-acclaimed play Ghumayee, he created riveting visuals with sheer energy of actors. In Mahabhoj he experimented in yet another innovative way as actors became props and instead of waiting in the wings, the entire cast remained on the stage all through the performance. "Training", he muses "helps but learning is a full-time preoccupation." And he has learnt the dynamics of children’s theatre admirably well, too. Natrang Children’s Club came into being in 1990 and quality plays like Aap Hamare Hai Kaun, Hum Hai Na and Mere Hisse Ki Dhoop Kahan Hai handled topical issues like oppressive education system, unrealistic parental expectations that directly affect the lives of children. Perturbed by the fact that technology and television have pervaded children’s innocent world, their problems concern him deeply. Children’s theatre, he feels, can change the world and theatre at large has a significant role to play, provided its outreach grows. The expanse of his theatre certainly has grown exponentially. From record participation in 162 national festivals within the country, his plays have been part of prestigious international festivals like World Experimental Theatre Festival Rome, Italy, Moscow International Theatre Festival and Frankfurt International Theatre Festival in Germany. "Acknowledgment from the West", he quips, "is still a big plus and an accreditation of sorts." But at the end of the day, he feels that only theatre that is rooted survives. "Imagine doing Shakespeare for western audiences in their style`85 would they be interested?" his question provides the answer. Exploration for roots has now taken him to the oral tradition of Karkan singers, who have been singing the tales of Mata Vaishno Devi since ages. As he is toying with the idea of a research-based musical performance on their narrative, we wonder whether it is an attempt to encash upon the religious sentiments of the devout. He reminds that his endeavour would not be a publicity-seeking gimmick but a tribute to heritage and syncretism of Indian culture. In fact, in tradition he finds not only regional identity but also path-breaking ideas. Delving into the tragic love legend of Kunju Chanchalo, which he calls a story of love in times of war, he can sense the universal message of love and peace. His play Ghumayee that is based on a folk tale talks of women’s emancipation in the most potent way. Without doubt Ghumayee that has gone places remains special and close to his heart. But the director who has been doing theatre for 28 long uninterrupted years and has won awards like the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Sanskriti Award and Sapatrishi Samman has no intention of sitting back on his laurels. Keen to create a parallel to cinema, cultural festivals seem to be his current muse. Since 2007, he has been organising a mega- event called the Jammu Festival that showcases the rich cultural mosaic of the region. In times, when tradition has been overtaken by commerce, he is positive that art and artists can show the way. He is determined to lead on the cultural front and shares, "Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine attracts lakhs of pilgrims and this year the figure is like to touch one crore. Certainly, we can make efforts to ensure that Jammu emerges as an international cultural destination. Looking beyond the self
... its pride and pleasure in regional identity that spurs him on to
reinforce it with greater vigour.
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