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Photo: Sangeetha Devi Dundoo

For the love of theatre Roysten Abel

Mid-January, Hyderabad will experience theatre of a different kind. Imagine watching 43 Manganiyar musicians seated in 36 cubicles on a set weighing 3000 kilos at the Taramati Baradari and playing for a little more than an hour. Theatre director Roysten Abel will bring down his presentation Manganiyar Seduction to Hyderabad for the first time as part of the annual festival conducted by Kalakriti.

Having performed in Europe, Abel is mighty pleased with the Taramati Baradari. “What you will listen to is the Manganiyar style of music. I have arranged the presentation in a dramatic style without tampering with their music,” he says. Taking a mammoth production on tour is no mean task and Roysten is an old hand at it. He says, “We set up the place for two days, check everything from the sounds to the lights and ensure safety. When the show comes alive I feel every bit of labour has been worth it.”

Though he’s called an intellectual, he hates the tag. “Theatre came into existence for a reason: to help us unwind after work. It’s got to be fun. You can’t make it tedious with people not understanding what they see on stage,” he says casually.

Talking of Manganiyar Seduction, he says, “Good ideas come to you in a jiffy or they simply don’t. I was in Spain in 2005, performing another play. There were three Manganiyar musicians in the team. These guys would follow me wherever I went and play at odd times. I was being seduced by their kind of music and thought of a production with their music.” Till date, Roysten auditions for Manganiyar singers and time and again replaces weak singers with new talent.

Unlike most theatre persons who would be content tackling the creative aspect, Roysten takes pride in being able to balance the commerce and the art. “In India you don’t have people to help you with the logistics. So you end up doing everything yourself and within a few years become good at it.” He credits his business acumen to his genes. “My dad was a good businessman. When you know the tricks of the trade it makes life easier for you and those around you.” In fact, Roysten’s parents wanted him to study economics. Drawn by theatre, Roysten discontinued his college and joined the National School of Drama. “By far, I think it’s the best decision I’ve taken,” he laughs.

His plays – including Flowers, Othello and The Spirit of Anne Frank – are popular, he agrees, but not populist by design. “The Spirit of Anne Frank was my way of reacting to Godhra. I am not here to call BJP the bad guys. I wanted to show how women suffered the most. Shabana and Nandita had shown eagerness to work with me and the Dutch Embassy was willing to give me funds if I managed to rope in stars. So it all worked out,” he recalls. His presentation Othello - In Black and White is one of his most popular and was the pre-cursor to his film, In Othello.

Roysten is yet to see Vishal Bharadwaj’s adaptation of Macbeth and Othello, and says of his own affinity with Shakespeare’s works, “Shakespeare was the only playwright I understood while at NSD. I read him like I’d read a thriller. He articulated emotions while most others articulated ideas.”

Roysten is working on two operas which will be ready by 2010. “I am busy with four travelling productions now. If I have a month-long tour in Europe I take a break for the next three months. It gets strenuous,” he admits.

SANGEETHA DEVI DUNDOO

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