Plays that make you think
A.D. RANGARAJAN
|
In memory of Safdar Hashmi, a series of plays espoused revolutionary ideas.
|
Photo: K.V. Poornachandra Kumar
PLAY ON Artistes performing a streetplay on `Veera Telangana' .
A sudden eruption of emotion and revolutionary ideas were evident amongst the audiences when street plays were being performed. The heart-rending themes instantaneously whipped up mixed feelings like compassion, fury, anger, desperation and introspection.
The event was Safdar Hashmi Open Theatre (SHOT-2006), the 17th state-level street play festival conducted by Praja Natya Mandali, the Leftist mouthpiece, known for its deftness in focusing on revolutionary ideas through street plays and folk art forms.
The fete was organised in memory of Safdar Hashmi, a revolutionary artiste who was killed while giving a performance of Hallabol in Delhi in 1989, in support of striking workers. Instead of weakening the cause, his death in fact propelled the movement that led to the birth of several revolutionary artistes.
The TUDA's open-air theatre Indira Maidanam was abuzz with activity as 18 plays were performed in 20 hours over three days. As a tribute to the martyr, the event started with Hallabol, which was a story of a worker who clashes with the management to make his love a success.
Mana Charitra was on the backdrop of the Babri demolition. Manya Viplavam highlighted Alluri Seetharama Raju's revolt against the British, while Rythu dealt on farmers' suicides. Thangedu Poolu focussed on the unbridled sale of thanda girls, while Water War was a satire on handing over of reservoirs to bottling units.
The second day saw the enactment of historical events. Veera Telangana showed blood-curdling incidents of rape, loot and murder of local farmers by the Nizam rulers, while Guri dealt with the ordeals of tribals in Dandakaranya. Elementary School was based on a real-life protest near Tirupati for sanction of a good building for their village school. O Bharya, O Bhartha, Inko Adi projected television as an idiot box that disturbed family relations.
Jo Achutananda showed how women were still treated as second grade citizens, while Tanikella Bharani's Gograhanam faulted scanning centres for the growing incidence of foeticide.
Govinda Govinda - II, a satirical play performed on the final day, fired fusillades at YSR for perpetuating the World Bank dictated policies.
Savaseru Godhumalu showed that going for loans, however small it may be, would land one in a debt trap. The plays Komaram Bheem, Ae kulam needi?, Charakha Thadaka and Sramika veerulu too went down well with the audience.
The event, conducted in memory of Hashmi, did succeed in triggering a sense of revolution.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
