Portrayals of reality
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Praja Natya Mandali's plays hold significance for different generations of drama enthusiasts.
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Praja Natya Mandali continues to stage plays with themes that are closer to reality. Photo: K. Ramesh Babu
THE ANDHRA Pradesh Praja Natya Mandali, celebrated its 7th annual meet at the Ravindra Bharathi with a drama festival.
The festival was proof of the popularity the Natya Mandali enjoys for its commitment to culture. A meeting held as part of the celebrations, demanded that the State Government formulate its cultural policy, taking especially the views of folk artistes and workers in the field of arts and crafts of different regional and linguistic groups. It was discussed that the policy should not be a tool to perpetuate the neo-market culture promoted by multinationals, spread through films, television channels of Indian and foreign countries, discotheques and pubs. Also they demanded that in restoring the academies which were abolished earlier, the state should ensure that they are not merely bodies to offer a few concessions, but bodies that reflect and work for the enlivening of the people's culture. Praja Natya Mandali also wanted the State Government to ensure freedom of expression, remove levying charges for presenting plays in the rural areas, grant of police permission for staging plays and old age pensions to artistes. The state-wide meet of Natya Mandali presented a number of plays, street plays, folk art forms and music on problems of agriculturists, women, unemployed youth, the poor and the downtrodden.
The play `Water War', written and directed by Devi, Secretary of the Mandali, was interesting. It envisaged wars between people and the Governments, as water supply is diminishing with dangerous forebodings for the future. `India Today' discussed the way in which corruption and exploitation have made inroads into two noble professions - medicine and education. `Rytu' is a play the Mandali highlighted to show to what level farmers in the country are driven to suicide. `Bahu Paraak' dealt with problems faced by the fishermen. `Bhaavi Bharatam' took the role of Ekalaavya from the `Mahabharata' and presented it from its angle and discussed the relationship between a guru and his disciple.
Other plays included `Halikulu Kshemama' and `Gali Gopuram'. The latter stressed on the need for religious amity and national integration, as religious fundamentalism is sure to foment disunity. `Ekulam Needi', was a probing play on untouchability. The play asserted that if Dalits, are assigned lands, the problem would disappear, because of improvement in economic conditions. `Tangedu Poolu' was about the Lambadas who are even today looked upon as criminals and made to live on the fringes of society. The play compared them to the `tangedu' flower, which grows on the outskirts of villages.
`Jo Achyutananda', was another good drama depicting the plight of female children who are being killed as foetuses and how a girl child is discriminated against.
The folk songs of Telangana rendered, reflected the plight of the girl child and demanded a fair deal for her.
The festival recorded good attendance on all days, including theatre artistes and film personalities. Mohan Babu, noted film actor and producer, said he was greatly moved by the play `Water War', a problem that millions faced today. He announced a personal donation of Rs. 25,000 to the Praja Natya Mandali to carry on the job of motivating people and government for a social cause.
Film writer Paruchuri Gopalakrishna and educationist, S. Ramaiah also recalled their childhood experiences after watching these plays and fondly remembered how Praja Natya Mandali's plays literally moved the audiences, especially in Telangana and coastal Andhra. Quite a number of film artistes of the earlier period had their base in this movement.
The meet concluded after five days of hectic activity. The present secretary, Devi was elected as the new president of Praja Natya Mandali. M.S. Reddy, Sonia Gupta of Ciefl, Paruchuri Hanumantha Rao, Modali Nagabhushana Sarma and others spoke about their long association with the Praja Natya Mandali and appreciated its dedication to the art of drama and its belief in applying art forms to finding solutions for problems.
GUDIPOODI SRIHARI
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