theatre cafe | issue 2 | year 1

7/29/2019 Theatre Cafe | Issue 2 | Year 1

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Rendezvous

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INSIDE

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Gates to India Song isbeing performed in India,rst time by Indian artists.It journeys through two

works of great 20th centuryFrench writer MargueriteDuras, The Vice-consuland India Song.

Issue 2 | Year 1 | www.mytheatrecafe.com

Choiti Ghosh, an ObjectTheatre practitioner, actorand puppeteer, takes usthrough the journey ofObject Theatre, a formof drama that presentsobjects in interaction withthe human body

drcr f h

wrk-pcWe have seen so

many personalities whodedicate their life for onecause. Actor-DirectorAtul Kumar is one of

them, who is living witha dream to set up anambitious work-spacefor theatre. Kumar hasset up creative center atUksan, Maval- a work-space that has beenhis dream and now hisdream is coming in toreality. Kumar shares his

struggle and eforts thathe undertook to realisethis dream.

Maneesha Sathe is knownfor her experiments inperformances. Having setan example to be the rstto create the fusion ofKathak with oriental music

and Taiko Drums, sheshares her ideas.


2/8

Neelambari Bhoge

A Kathak performergifted with technicalperfection, aestheticapproach, sensitivityand imagination,Maneesha Satheis known forher experimentsin traditional,modern, abstract

and contemporaryperformances. Havingset an example to bethe frst to create thefusion of Kathak withoriental music andTaiko Drums, sheshares her ideas.

What inspired youto create the fusion ofKathak on Taiko drums?

Since 1991, I am working

with oriental music that isespecially played in Japanand Korea. Gradually, Istarted producing dance

dramas on the life of LordBuddha with YasuhitoTakimoto, a renownedcomposer, key board playerand percussionist from Japan.These dramas were morelike thematic and technicalpresentations that werebased on Kathak dance form.In the meantime, Takimotoalso started learning Taalpatterns from me. We decidedthat every year we will haveone production and that ishow we performed in Pune,

Mumbai, Patna and Japan.Talking about the inspirationof this fusion, Takimoto wasconnected with a shrinewhere he came across asacred taiko played onlyduring any special occasionor celebrations. He realisedthis has varied taal patternthat should be learned. Hedesigned a presentationusing Korean drums withhis group. During one of histrips to India especially forour Silver Jubilee functionof the Maneesha Nrityala,

he showed that presentationwith Korean drums. Hefound me very graceful andcondent when I danced

along. He then decided that Ishould carry out this fusion. Ilearnt it myself rst as I loveto take up challenges andthen taught my 6 students.

What were obstaclesand challenges faced inperforming this fusion?

To set up the rstperformance, we chosea taal of 9 beats calledBasant Taal. I designed fewcompositions which weretraditional and learned to

play taiko from them. I wasalso one of the participantsamongst my 6 students.While playing, we tried

various innovations alongwith ghungroos, percussionsand hand movements andthen designed compositions.Designing these compositionswas a very dicult task aswe had to play and dancesimultaneously. Therewere times, when I startedpracticing in the morning7:30 am and continued tillnight 10 pm. I wanted that

composition to be up toTakimotos mark as theytoo had xed stances andplaces. It was the rst time

in the world, maybe, that

we performed Kathak along

with taiko drums. The name

of the event was Save the

Earth wherein almost more

than 100 performers from

China, Japan and India had

participated.

As an artist, which

audience do you fnd more

inspiring-National orInternational?

When it comes to Indian

audiencein some partsof the country, audiencesare not anxious as theyhave seen the performerswhereas in remote placesthe performance is a divineone. At times, my audiencescry when they see me danceat this age. Talking aboutinternational audience, theydo not get an opportunity to

see performances like these.They are spellbound and it isup to the artists luck whataudience they get. l

Nitin Brahme

Atul Kumars PiyaBehrupiya is heating the

stage these days. Not onlyin Mumbai, but the play hasbeen acclaimed in Pune andKerala. But more interestingis the story of the placewhere the rehearsals of thisplay have been done. All therehearsals are conductedat a remote village Uksan,situated in Kamshet. Allwondered why he set thisplay at Uksan? And here isthe story of Kumars dreamand his eorts to maketheatre village called work-space, which will be termed

as an International residencyfor theatre research andperformance.

Atul Kumar and his TheCompany Theatre (TCT)is setting up the projectof work space, aunts allthe facilities for theatre. Itallows anyone interested intheatre to set their play inthis green and hilly scenicbeauty. I have seen so manysuch places. First I had seenthis special place when I metto Veena Pani Chawla, when

I was kid. Then I saw thetheatre projects at MallikaSarabhai and Protima Bedisplace. Once I visited RatanThiyyam and saw his centerand I have seen the samething in Paris also. So it wasin my mind and I grew upwith this dream. I wanted tomake a place, where creative

people can meet, discuss,make their research. A placewhere artists can think,practice in a peaceful mindwith natures support.

Originally from Delhi,Kumar came to Mumbaifor his friend Sanjay LilaBhansalis lm Hum Dil DeChuke Sanam. Bhansaliand Kumars friend SanjanaKapoor insisted him to stayback for theatr. Gradually,he indulged in the work oftheatre in Maharashtra.

Kumar founded TCT 20years ago and continued

to work in Mumbai.

I was seeing that peoplewere tired, when they go forrehearsal. After their daily

job, how can they rehearsein peace? So again I startedthinking on the project andI decided to make this work-sapce here, in Maharashtra,explained Kumar. I havebeen living with this dreamsince 20 years. I came toMumbai with this dream17 years ago and Mumbaibecame my Karmabhoomi.But I didnt have a singlerupee in my pocket then. In2004 I appealed to paintersfor donation and 200 painters

gave me their paintings

for exhibition and sale. In2005, we held a big paintingexhibition in Mumbai andcollected funds. Since 2007we are doing shows of playsto collect funds and we haveappealed to people that theycan donate any amount aboveRs. 100, Kumar narrated.

He added that currentlythey have built only one 2000sq ft structure, including onehall for rehearsal and somerooms for stay. He added,We want to build cottages,sta quarters, dining area,library, research center andmore places for to set plays.This place will be available

to everyone, those who wantto make serious plays, whowant to work for theatre.Piya Behrupiya is the rstplay, which has set at workSpace.

The Work Space

Work Space is situatedin the village Uksan, TalukMaval in Pune district, 45minutes away from Kamshet.The place is of 5 acres andon the bank of VadivaleDams backwater. In 2005TCT raised funds through

art exhibition and acquired 5Acres land in Vadivale near toKamshet in 2007. Currently,the construction of secondphase is going on and thenal phase is expected totake place at the end of 2014.

Currently landscaping,plantation have been done

and a large living spacehas been constructed. Inthe second phase 2 smallcottages, sta cottages, semi-open work-space, 8 artist

cottages, common kitchenand dining hall, pathwayswill be constructed. Enclosedtheatre, 2 more permanentlarge cottages, oce space,fabrication workshop haveproposed in the third phase.The cost of Rs. 1 crore and 9lakh is expected for secondphase. l

How to donate forwork space project

You can donate incash for this project oryou can donate in kind

also such as trees, fertilizeretc for plantation. Ifyou want to be a partof this project then youcan donate tiles, steel,cement, sand, windows,doors, glass, mirrors, watertanks and purificationsystem, electric generator,Invertors, computers,interiors and furniture ofall kinds, vehicles- car,motorcycle, bicycles andsolar panels.

For donation contact:Phone: 022-26301294,[email protected] [email protected]

or follow Facebookpage.

drcr of th Wrk-pc

I was seeing that people were tired,

when they go for rehearsal. After their

daily job, how can they rehearse in

peace? So again I started thinking on the

project and I decided to make this work-

sapce here. I have been living with this

dream since 20 years.

an enhrlln exprnc

The building of Work-Space coming up at Uksan.

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WHAT IS OBJECTTHEATRE? For the last 2

years, this uestion has beenmy primary preoccupation.

Whenever Im trying toarticulate an answer forsomeone else (and I getasked this a lot!), I ndmyself struggling to captureeverything that Ive beenseeing, hearing, reading,learning and teachingmyself since 2010 in an all-encompassing sentence thatclearly communicates whatexactly Object Theatre is.

And I nd myself failing.

So let me take the easy

way here. Let me start witha little history. Or what Ipresume might be the history.

Sometime in the early20th century, really ordinaryobjects from our day-to-dayuse started making theirway into many forms of art.The most famous exampleof this being the famousartist Marcel Duchamps The

Fountain wherein Duchampexhibited a urinal signedR.Mutt in an art exhibition.It was so deliberately anti-aesthetic that it initiallymet with strong rejections.Later of course it came to be

known as one of the biggestinuences in path-breakingmodern art.

In the theatre too, thepuppetry community (as acommunity that naturallyuses materials as modesof expression), too started

veering towards this.Putting down especiallycreated beautiful puppets,they started experimentingwith material & objects ofeveryday use - like paper,plastic, fabric, body parts,

jars, cans, bottles, kitchenutensils to see what thesecould do and say.

In dance and movementtheatre too we see largeuses of objects today objects in interaction withthe human body. Although Icannot be certain when thetrend started in dance, but Iwouldnt be surprised if thethreads of thought all didntstart at the same time.

Why is the question? Myfeeling is that it was deeply

connected to the IndustrialRevolution, followed by thePlastic Age and growth ofconsumer society, which

eventually led to our livesbeing lled with more andmore objects, creating ahitherto un-experienced

relationship betweenmaterial and human society.Today we live with a strangedynamic between us and themillions of things we use. Dowe own our objects or doesthe market own us? More andmore objects often, but notalways, improve the qualityof our lives. How do millionsof identically manufacturedobjects inuence our senseof aesthetics, hence arts;our sense of individualismand identity; how do theypermeate our media sub-

culture thus buildingassociations, meanings andsymbols? Etc. etc.. Thesecouldve been questions thatwe the people subconsciouslylived with, and artists,objecteurs, puppeteers,dancer, designers, architects,manufacturers tried toanalyse.

Now having said all this,

lets move on to the mainquestion at hand What isObject Theatre?

The standard French,Belgian, Germanmethodology seems to beusing the objects as they are,

making them do what theynaturally do, and drawingparallels from them to largerissues. For example, in a playabout torture (!!!), the maincast of characters could bean actor/objecteur, a bunchof potatoes, a peeler and abowl. The objecteur, with abenign expression on herface takes out a bunch ofpotatoes. She makes dierent

voices for the potatoes andthey appear to be a group ofchildren playing. Suddenlyshe stops the performance

of the potatoes, with a sternexpression on her face shebrings out a peeler. Sheselects a big, plump, healthypotato and picks it up. Slowlyand deliberately she startspeeling it and the audiencewatches as the rinds fall tothe oor. One by one she peelsall the potatoes except one.She brings out a big cookingbowl and places the peeledpotatoes in it. She puts on anapron and leaves. The loneunpeeled potato lies theresurrounded by the rinds of

its comrades. Gruesome! Butpalatable.

Other famous companies,

say from The Nederland andSpain, have evolved othertechniques. They animatethe objects, give them voice

and walk, sometimes givingthem a costume, along withusing them in their regularuses. For example, theSpanish company TabolaRassas famous performanceof Molieres The Miser withtaps and waterworks. Driedup taps become the centralcast of characters they walk,talk, and complain about thedespotic miser. The resourcethat the miser hoards iswater. After much struggleand deliberation, when in theend water gushes from the

shower handle and taps, theaudience, especially if theyrefrom a place of limited watersupply, automatically movesthe play beyond Moliere intotheir own lives.

There are very manymore styles and techniquesbeing evolved and practicedaround the world. Theremight be much debatebetween dierent techniquesabout what remains withinand what crosses the realmof Theatre dObjet.

Now to us, in India. Itseems (and no one wouldbe more relieved than me ifI was wrong) that were theonly formal practitioners ofthe Theatre of Objects. TramTheatre was formed onlyin 2011 after I returned theprevious year from my very,

very short training stint atthe Institut International dela Marionnette in France.The training, though intense,and under one of Europesbest known Object Theatre

artistes Agnes Limbos (andone of the best teachers Iveever known) was only a monthlong. So what it managed todo was raise some questionsand open some doors, while

giving the sense that thereare many more. So sincethen, its really been a

journey of trying dierent

things and self-learning. Onecant really say that IndianObject Theatre now has itsown distinct methodologyand form. Yet!

But one can say that itsnot alien to us. Not underthis name (Theatre dobjet orTheatre of Objects) that wasgiven by French artiste KatyDeville in 1980, Indians havebeen playing with objectsin and out of the theatrefor years. Not just as props,but as protagonists. In thetheatre - not regularly and notoften - but in bits and spurts.Whether these were puppettheatre or actors theatre isanother, deeper debate thatwe will not go into right now.

But the fact of the matter is,the concept is not alien.

And as far as our livesgo, which child has not usedleaves and stones to playkitchen-kitchen? Who hasnot made a tent out of theirblankets and pretend theyare rats hiding in their holes?

Some imaginative peoplemay have continued to dothis even into adulthood.Were used to transformingone object to mean anotherand look for symbols inobjects - to create landscapesor accessories to support ourcharacters, to create a worldof make belief.

Now all we have to do isgive them space beside us, notbeneath us and let them worktheir magic in their own silent,unobvious way. l

objcfyn thr

Choiti Ghosh, an Object Theatre

practitioner, actor and puppeteer, takesus through the journey of Object Theatre,a form of drama that presents objects ininteraction with the human body.

A scene from Trams play Nostos. (Photo : SandipaRakshit).

A scene from Tram Theatres play A Birds Eye View (Photo : Joyoti Roy)

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As I wound up my theatre

class for the day, a studentwho was shortly to graduate,after three years of theatretraining, came up to me andasked, Sir, what next? Iwas a bit taken aback as Ihad never pondered over itseriously, but he was serious.However I refrained fromreplying the obvious, Well,what you mean by what next?We have done our work,now you embark on a periodof struggle and nd yourdestination. But what didthis struggle really mean? Itdidnt seem to have a cut-oand denitely no guarantee,that it would bear fruit.

I appreciate that this phasecomes in everyones life, butthen can it be capped? Can itbe an assurance for brighterdays ahead? Is it justied? Myconcerns writ large on my face,a colleague retorted, Dontromanticise this concern.Leave them from here onand let them struggle andseek their careers. We cantbe nursing every student.It was partly convincing, but

then.!

On my theatre sojourns,I came across threedistinct categories of suchStrugglers. One categorycomprised of artistes whohad graduated from so

called premier institutesand some from not so wellknown training centres. Atthe end of their training, theyall stand in one line, for the

start of the race. NSD, FTII,Flame School of PerformingArts, Lalit Kala Kendra, theycome from all over. Trained in

various disciplines of theatre,exposed to the best of talent,fortunate to having seen allkinds of theatre, travelledwidely.

The second lot didnthave any academic degreesto decorate their resumes,but had climbed the ladder,through personal interest,doing workshops, gelling into form small theatre groups,

performing in economicallyviable spaces. Literally a handto mouth existence! Fromhere they could be spottedand their transition into theindustry seemed a logicallycrossing. The third bunch

were the ones who had only adream to make it big in tinseltown, with an occasional trystwith theatre or the camera,or then just that they looked

good. Each one of themjumped onto the bandwagon,eyes set from bigger cities,seeking breaks in cinema anda few in theatre.

It is ne till this point. Myjoy is for the few who makeit and nd their space. Butwhat happens to the endless,for whom the struggle neverends and they lie in wait,in artistic ghettos, like theones lining Bandra, Mulund,Mandi house etc. Roomsafter rooms are crammedwith talent, untapped. As

Noted playwright SatishAlekar expressed in a recentprogramme, It was ne inour days, when there were

jobs to support out creativeurges in theatre. But todaysgeneration is in tougher

times. With no guaranteed

ow of money, they have torely on doing theatre alone orthen dabble in it till the goinggets tough and then let go.

I often wonder if somethingcould be done to smoothenthis buer period. Startrepertories, create jobs for the

youngsters, encourage themto look beyond only wantingto be actors- maybe take uptraining children in schools,research, workshops, etc,sensitising them and helpingthem to see reality evenas they train in academic

institutes, persuading them togo back to their native placesand continue their work? Thiswould ensure some backuptill they nd the right spaceto y!

Though arising outof compassion for thesehundreds of Strugglers,these musings are notromanticised. In each ofthe suggested alternatives,there have been numerousexperiments, which aretestimony to their success.The need is only for theseStrugglers to get out oftheir comfort zones, in beinglabelled so and face life witha punch. Its all there, whichhas to be seen with openeyes and a commitment toovercome. l

th srlr dlmm

O late we see manydrama competitions and

theatre festivals beingorganised at the State andNational level. Numeroustheatre groups are beingformed in larger metros andeven smaller towns andsurprisingly, they performmany shows to their credit.Even in colleges & schoolsdrama activities are beingencouraged.

Against this scenarioI observed that very fewtheatre enthusiasts care tostudy drama and its theoreticinputs, along with practicing

theatre. Earlier there wasa myth that one is born anactor and that acting cannotbe learnt. Taking this cue,the youngsters dont feel theneed to study drama in all itsintricacies and seriousness;instead believe that it justhappens like any other formof entertainment. I think thisattitude towards theatre isproblematic.

In main streamprofessional theatre, becauseof monetary trappings, there

are xed patterns of forms &styles of drama used, whichmakes it very repetitive.They refrain from taking

risks and experimenting.At the amateur theatrevery few groups dare to doan experiment or take ona new kind of play. On theip side the ones doingexperiments do not botherto take cognizance of theatrehistory. They are satisedthat what they are indulging

in is Experimental.Ironically the notion behindthe word Experimental ismisconstrued. Some theatregroups call themselves as anexperimental theatre group.

Actually in theatre jargon theword experiment is used torelate with the play and notthe group.

Personally I am of theopinion that one needs toknow about theatre fromits beginning to the currenttimes. Theatre is now asubject widely studied in

schools & universities andprovides a model for thoughtin education, philosophy,

psychology and sociology.

To understand theatre

we have to understand thebasic elements which formits structure like acting,text to perform, theatrespace & architecture, and

various design aspects,interpretation of the play,audience and criticism aswell. To do an experiment intheatre we have to be fullyaware of theatre and all itsnuances, which will help usto position ourselves betterin the context of todayssocial surroundings. Theatreis a vital & organic part of the

society. The form it takes andstyle it adapts relates to thechanging historical and socialconditions, which is why onecan say that theatre alwaysreects the scenario of thatperiod.

Theorising theatre, onehas to encompass a widerange of history- fromunderstanding Prakrit (Folk& traditional) theatre andSanskrit theatre to modernand post-modern Indiantheatre. In world theatre

there is a range of westerntheatre from ancient Greek,Roman, Italian, Elizabethan,Spanish, French theatre to

20th century Russian theatreto modern and post- modern

European & the Americantheatre era. There is also theneed to study the Orientaltheatre, ancient Japanese& Chinese theatre to post-modern Korean theatre.

Another lament I haveis the common belief thattheatre is a launch pad formoving on to television andlms. To my mind it has itsown existence, which hasbeen proven beyond doubtsthe world over. It is saddeningto see successful playwrights,actors, directors moving away

from theatre to television andlms. But there are a fewexceptions who strive to hangon, in order to produce playperformances on stage, forthe live audiences. At suchtimes, the study of theatremay inculcate a betterunderstanding of its presentstate, its problems and thelikelihood of promisingopportunities in this eld.

Lastly I feel that it isbetter to do theatre withan enhanced and denitive

understanding of its lineageand history. This willprovide more substance to ameaningful theatre l.

unrnn thr

Aniruddha Khutwad

Aniruddha Khutwadis well known lecturerand director in theatreeld. He is currentlyteaching acting with Filmand Television Instituteof India (FTII). He isNational School of Drama(NSD) student and hetakes theatre workshop atvarious places for NSD. Hework for theatre and lmas freelancer and he isresearcher of theatre.

PeRsPeCtIvesPeRsPeCtIves44

Dr. Ajay Joshi

Dr. Ajay Joshi isa practicing dentist,with a PhD in theatrecriticism and an MA inJournalism and MassCommunication. Hehas freelanced as atheatre journalist forpublications like Timesof India, Indian Express,Saakal, PtNotes, Himaletc. He is involved intheatre as a media

person, organiser,coordinator, judge andteacher.

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Maya Deshpande

Gates to India Song isbeing performed in India,rst time by Indian theatreartists. It journeys throughtwo works of great 20thcentury French writerMarguerite Duras, The Vice-consul and India Song.The novel Vice-Consul waspublished in 1966 and thelm India Song, adaptedfrom this novel, was made in1973 by Duras herself. EricWinger, a great admirer ofDuras, has directed this playGates to India Song. For

his commitment to Durasesworks he was awarded thehonour of Chevaliar dansin 1998. Here he takes usthrough The Vice-Cosul andIndia Song.

Both these works are innarrative format. The Vice-consul contains a story of a

young, unmarried, pregnantbeggar, Peter Morgan, whois writing her biography and

Anne-Marie Stretter, wifeof a French Ambassador in

India. A ckle woman, shenourishes herself by all male

desires around her. Amongthem is the Vice-Consul, whois in love with Anne-MarieStretter, waiting for a newassignment as he is calledback from Lahor.

In the lm India Songthe beggar woman herself isa narrator. Duras imaginedIndia for the lm and throughthis play Eric Winger made itpossible to meet real Indiawith that imaginary India.The play Gates to India Song

is a combination of both, thenovel and the lm.

The play is only forthose who are familiar withMarguerite Durass works.Nandita Das is convincingin roles, the beggar womanand Anne-Marie; still at thesame time we do not getinvolved in the story. Nocharacter in the play haspositivity towards life thoughthey speak about the eternalfeeling of love. But thisnegativity is not depressing.Neeraj Kabi (Peter Morgan)and Subodh Maskara

(French ambassador) lenta good support, but JimSarbh (Charles Rossett)was impressive. A specialmention of costumedesigners MaximilianoModesti and Rajesh PratapSingh is a must. They havedone a fantastic job.

When the Durasianheroine travels from book tobook, lm to lm and play toplay, we wait to know abouther in the next play. l

g t in sn: a Ml ac

Gates to India Song

(Based on India Song andThe Vice-Consul)

Adaptation, Direction &Set Design Eric WingerCast : Nandita Das, Su-haas Ahuja,Subodh Maskara, NeerajKabi, Jim Sarbh

A scene from Gates To India Song.

Dr Sameer Mone

Kiran Yadnopavit, throughhis theatrical work till today,has proved that he is anartist with maturity andsocial sensibilities. It can besaid without a doubt that

Yadnopavit is one of the mostimportant personalities inthe experimental theatre

today. His performance in theplays such as Te Pudhe Geleand the musical play writtenby him such as ChandanChori had won applause few

years ago. He has now joinedhands with Natak Companyto give a complete theatricalexperience through AparadhiSugandha.

Apradhi Sungandhaliterally means criminalaroma. This aroma is of sandalwood tree in the gardenof a bungalow of a well-established family. AparadhiSugandha can be calledas the elaborate version ofChandan Chori. Hence, theconsortia of Kiran Yadnopavitand Natak Company raisesthe bar of expectation in theminds of audience when theyare about to see the play.

So, the sandal woodtree in the verandah of thisbungalow is ancient andprecious. Meanwhile, KhanSaheb- a singer, is living asa contingent in this familyand his girl student is to be

married to the son of thefamily. They marry in thepresence of this sandal woodtree and express their love

for each besides it. The entirefamily has formed a deepemotional bond with the tree.This relationship also hasbeen expressed beautifully inthe play. But once the thievesfall for the trees worth andplan a robbery the string ofinevitable events starts whichgives the play a real twist.

The credit goes to the

writer as he has engagedseveral elements bettingthe play. The rst highlightof the play is that it enfoldslike a proper story and thesecond is the entire story isanchored by two characters

Aburao-Baburao and thesmall episodes which feel asingrained part of the play. Inits narration audience gets to

enjoy parody, metaphors and

comments on the political and

social issues and the play has a

perfect blend of emotional yet

agitative avors that keeps it

engaged throughout the play.

Director NipunDharmadhikari has preciselydesigned this play and theway he has used the pairof Aburao and Baburao is

remarkable. Even thoughthere are various avoursand elements the director

has made sure that the focuswill remain on the originalstory. But here it must be saidthat the director has beensupported by talented actorssuch as Ameya Wag and OmBhutkar.

A drawback that one

feels towards the end ofthis play is that the use ofparody and satire becomes alittle overboard. Even smallthings such as the attitudeof neighbours or the singingpractice of Khan saheb is wellportrayed but the questionremains that where do theemotions suddenly vanishthat were explored in the

beginning of the play throughsongs and dialogues.

It feels as if the emotionslose their way in the middle ofthe play due to the eorts ofhighlighting the commentaryon the political issues. Sodoes this mean that thepurpose behind this play isto make people introspectrather than entertain? Someof these questions remainunanswered yet one can easilysay that Aparadhi Sugandhais a complete theatricalexperience. l

a Cmpl thrcl exprnc

Aparadhi Sugandh

Writer: Kiran Yadnopa-vitDirector: Nipun Dhar-madhikariCast: Amey Wag, Om

Bhutkar, SiddharthMenon, Rama Kulkarni,Akshay Tanksale

The team behind the play Aparadhi Sugandha.

A scene from Aparadhi Sugandha.

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Nitin Brahme

I have been doing dierent thingsin the theatre continuously but still I

feel that I have to keep myself on theedge, shared young play directorMohit Takalkar, on the backdrop of hisnew play Uney Pure Shahar Ek.

Although Takalkar is just 35-year-old, he is well-experienced and adistinguished theatre personality. Henever intended to do theatre, becauseas he recollects, he was scared whenI tried to talk in front of the audiencein the sixth grade.

Narrating his small yet intensedisappointments, he says, I triedto make a play when I was in the 4thgrade but not a single person showed

up to watch it. In 1999, I tried to makea play Tap Them in the AradhanaKarandak, which turned out to bea disaster. Actors failed to recollecttheir dialogues, lights were gone andwe did our play in the dark. In 2004we did Chandralok Complex, whichfetched me so many hate mails. Ididnt meet a single person who likedthe plays and I shut down it. In 2011,I presented play in London starring afamous English heroine, which failedto attract a single audience.

After pursuing hotel management,in 2011 Takalkar was awarded British

Councils scholarship for MA in theatrepractice at Exeter University, London.After 12th grade, unexpectedly I joinedProgressive Dramatic Association(PDA)s workshop, which changedmy life. I joined PDA and withoutany experience Dilip Vengurlekarassigned me play Yayati, which gotState award(Rajya Natya), after thatwe did Nanefek which was not likedbe writer C P Deshpande himself butagain we got the State award and Irealised that I am enjoying theatre.

Soon Takalkar formed Aasakta- a

theatre group, along with his friendswhile still struggling nancially,to make plays. He did ChotyashaSutit, a play by Sachin Kundalkar,for Maharashtra Cultural Center andsince then he is been doing plays likeTu, Matra Ratra, Purna Viram,Charshe Koti Visarbhole etc. He didat least 25 shows to 50 shows of everyplays in the remote place throughoutthe country.

I acted in Manomilan and CharuAro Etyadi but I was not comfortablein acting. In 2009, I took break fromthe rehearsal of Garbo and assisteddirector Tim Supple for his BritishCouncil commissioned Indo-UKtheatre production- A MidsummerNights Dream. I travelled in the world

and watched plays, saw Picasso, VanGouge and learnt how the structure ofplay happens, adds Takalkar.

He soon created a post-modernplay- Tichi Satra Prakarne, which wasdirected by four dierent directors.

And he did minimalistic presentation ofNecropolice of Mahesh Elkunchwarfor Lalit Kala Kendra. In themeantime he did various activities likeediting, sound designs and directionfor various lms. He got Aditya BirlaKalakiran Award, Sahitya RangbhumiFellowship, Amrish Puri Award andZee Gaurav Awards etc. And now hehas come up with a lm The Bright

Day.

In the last 13 years, I did 27plays and in this journey I got muchlove from Amol Palekar, SumitraBhave, Sunil Sukhthankar, Satish

Alekar, Mahesh Elkunchwar and VijayTendulkar. I am very fortunate that Igot contributing colleagues, who haveskill set and who ask me questions.I have been trying to get new castevery time, experimenting new thingsbut you know I feel disappointed dueto absence of dierent experimentssurrounding to me, concludesTakalkar. l

i Hv t Kp Mylf on e: Mh

Comrade Kumbhakarna --

(Ramu Ramanathan) 2011Gajab Kahani -(Pradeep Vaiddya) 2011Necropolis -(Mahesh Elkunchwar) 2010Kashmir Kashmir -(Ramu Ramanathan) 2009

Anandbhog Mall -(Ashutosh Potdar) 2009Garbo -(Mahesh Elkunchwar) 2009

Bedke Neeche Rehnewali -

(Sagar Deshmukh / Jitendra Joshi)2008Charshe Koti Visarbhole -(Makarand Sathe) 2007

Matra Ratra -(Sagar Deshmukh) 2007Tu -(Satee Bhave) 2006Fridge Madhye Thevlela Prem-(Sachin Kundalkar) 2005Chotyashya Sutteet -(Sachin Kundalkar) 2004

Mohits famous plays

PRevIewPRevIew

MassageHindi Play

Saturday, March 30 - Sunday,March 31, 2013

Dance Theatre Godrej | 7 pm

Proposal MarathiBharat Natya MandirMarch 2, 01:00 PM

Class of 84English Play

Sunday, March 31, 2013Tata Theatre | 7 pm

Tuesdays With MorrieEnglish Play

Sunday, March 10, 2013 7pmExperimental Theatre | 7 pm

My Goad PunePrithvi Theatre, Juhu

Mar 6, 2013 09:00 PM

Between the LinesEnglish Play

March 23, 2013Tata Theatre | 7 pm

Mantra Sukhacha

MarathiBharat Natya MandirMarch 3, 01:00 PM

Fresh Pix Series: KashmiriSpecial - Play

Friday, March 8, 2013Experimental Theatre | 7 pm

The Bureaucrat

English Play (90 mins)Saturday, March 30 & Sunday,

March 31, 2013Experimental Theatre | 7 pm

NCPA Marathi VisheshMarathi Play

Thursday, March 7, 2013Experimental Theatre | 6.30 pm

Atmiyacha PrayasMarathi

Bharat Natya MandirMarch 2, 05:00

Vasant Gujarati Natya Utsav |Marx In Kalbadevi

Festival of Gujarati PlaysFriday, March 22, 2013

Experimental Theatre | 6.30 pm

Broadway & Beyond

Theatre PerformanceSunday, March 24, 2013Tata Theatre | 7.30 pm

Nava Gadi Nava RajyaMarathi

Bharat Natya MandirMarch 10 05:00 PM

Kalpak Sangit SadhanaMarathi

Hindi/ Marathi songsBharat Natya Mandir

March 9 05:00PM

Im Bawa and I Know ItParsi Gujarati PlayThursday, March 21, 2013

Tata Theatre | 7.30 pm

Zest! | Ladi NajariaYouth Theatre

Tuesday, March 19, 2013Experimental Theatre | 6.30 pm

Stories In A SongPrithvi Theatre: Juhu

March 1, 2013 09:00 PM

Where Did I Leave my PurdahEnglish Play

Saturday, March 16, 2013 & Sunday,March 17, 2013

Experimental Theatre | 7 pm

Class of 84Prithvi Theatre: JuhuMarch 10, 2013

05:00 PM

MuMBaI Pune

MY theatReMY theatRe66

NaavPrithvi Theatre: Juhu

MumbaiMarch 5, 2013, 06:00 PM

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Dhyas PuneMarathi

Bharat Natya MandirMarch 16 05:00 PM


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Neha Ghatpande

With a performing

career spanning over adecade at a tender ageof 20, pianist Utsav Lalis ocially recognisedas a Young SteinwayArtist and named onthe worldwide artistroster of leading pianomakers, Steinway &Sons. Featured in theLimca Book of Recordsat 14 yrs of age, he is

the youngest awardwinner of IrelandsMetro ireann Media& MulticulturalMAMA Awards 2008for championingMulticulturalism andhas several laurels andawards to his credit.Lal shares his musicaljourney.

What is Music for you?

Also tell us about yourrelationship with Piano.

My life is totally immersedin music and life without musicis unimaginable. RecentlyIve started thinking of musiclargely to do with creating asound and colour with what

you play. Every note, scale,or chord sequence has itsown feel and emotions andthese change. They are alsoaected by what is played/comes before, after or duringit. When improvising the bestmusic is made when you arehaving a conversation or

musical dialogue.

The tonal quality, thesheer size of the piano, alongwith the fact that every time

you press a note, over 10,000working parts spring to life.all of these factors enthralledme since I was a child and Ilearnt to play the piano bothby ear and formally from theage of 7. The piano oersinnumerable possibilities toexplore soundscapes. It is

one of the most expressive,

versatile instruments and haswhat I call-regal grandeur. Iabsolutely love the Piano.

How did you discoverthe art of playing Indianclassical ragas on thepiano?

My fascination for thepiano came very early andway before my foray intoIndian Classical music. In theinitial years while I played

both Western Classical and

Indian lm music on the piano,it was strong classical basedIndian lm compositions,e.g by Naushad , Shankar-

Jaikishen that rst introducedme to the challenge ofplaying Indian classicalmusic on the piano. As I gotdeeper into it, the powerand challenge of the musiccompletely overwhelmedme. This coupled with thefact that there were loads

of Western Classical Piano

records available, butnothing for Indian ClassicalPiano made me determinedto explore this new path.I believe Indian ClassicalMusic is the most evolvedform of musical expressionand its the genre that givesme the most satisfaction. Itis the music of my roots andone that I am most inspiredby and closest to.

Till date you haveperformed at manyprestigious venuesabroad and almost in allimportant cities of Indiabut according to you whatis the milestone in your

musical career?

Playing at the HariballabhSangeet Samelan in Dec2012 was one of the mostamazing experiences. Its theoldest Hindustani classicalfestival and all of the greatestmusicians have performedthere at some point. It wasthe rst time a piano wouldbe featured at the festivaland I felt a huge excitementbut also a great responsibilityto be the one to introduce theinstrument. The audience

was a very highly educatedone and they were incrediblypatient, sitting there from4 in the afternoon till verylate at night. It was a greatexperience to play for such anaudience and it is denitely amemory to treasure.

Similarly, when I wasinvited to perform solo atthe Maximum India Festival, Washington DC by The

John F Kennedy Centre ofPerforming Arts , it was a bigmilestone and a moment of

great joy.l

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thrwlNeelambari Bhoge

Rohit Tiwari (37) started doing theatreat the age of 30, an age when peoplesettle down in a career. Born in the year ofemergency, in the heart of Madhya Pradesh,he comes from a typical Indian middle classfamily where career meant working for abank or other Government jobs.

Till I nished my graduation in statistics,the only acting I did was imitating myprofessors and I thank them all for beingsuch varied characters as it helped me

to master all genres of acting in my life,laughs Tiwari. After graduation he workedas a teacher and then a Radio Jockey. Theidea of theatre as a career struck him afterhe joined a theatre workshop on a friendsinsistence. Gradually, he started enjoyingtheatre as it gave him an opportunity to livemany lives as dierent characters.

According to Tiwari, acting is inherent inevery human being. Yet, standing in frontof so many people, being somebody that youare not and yet make the audiences believein that imaginary character, is somethingthat can only be felt and not told, he cites.

Till date, Tiwari has acted in almost 25plays with more than 200 shows in almost allgenres be it musical, comedy, experimental,

nautanki, historical or mythological. Hehas a group called Theatrewalas whereinthe apostrophe after S is deliberate, asthe group is open to everyone and anyonewho wants to join. The group is a team of

young and dedicated theatre enthusiastsand was started in Indore but now there aremembers from many cities of India and isbased in Mumbai as well.

Rohits latest play is Recharge@99that revolves around mobile that everyperson is obsessed with. He is planning tostart a childrens musical and a play on thelives of cops along with a dream to explorethe Parsi theatre style and also atypicalcommercial dance and song play. I seemyself on stage acting for an audience,writing and directing for them and I seemyself doing the same for the rest of mylife, adds Rohit.

When asked about personalities heidolises, Rohit quickly answers, mypersonal belief is that for an actor to idoliseanother actor is suicidal, because you startto imitate your idol.

Rohit suggests that every person shoulddo theatre once in their lives. Insisting that

his life has changed for good since theatrehappened, he concludes, theatre is not justa performing art but its a way of life. l

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Neelambari Bhoge

The historical premises ofShaniwarwada came alive with thespirit of cultural celebration withShaniwarwada Dance Festival thatwas held on February 17, 2013. Inits 12th colourful year, the festivalmesmerised Punekars with melodiousnotes and the tinkle of ghungrooslled the air. The event turned outto be a magnicent event with theperformances of renowned Kathakdanseuse Anjali Patil, internationallyrenowned classical vocalist VatsalaMehra and internationally renownedKathak danseuse Aditi Mangaldas.

The inauguration started withprayers to Lord Ganesh with aGanesh Vandana. The Ganesh

Vandana was conceptualised,choreographed and performed by

Anjali Patil along with 8 Kathakdancers from Pune. Anjali who hasbeen trained under renowned gurusPadmabhushan Kumudini Lakhia andLate Pandita Rohini Bhate enthralledthe audiences with the exhilaratingperformance.

The festival concluded with aperformance of internationally

renowned classical vocalist VatsalaMehra. Vatsala who had her formaltraining from Ustad Momin Khanof Lucknow gharana performed ahalf an hour programme Thumri Dadra. Her breathtaking voice, withits perfect bass notes and astonishingrange, broke all barriers with its purity.On the other hand, internationallyrenowned Kathak danseuse AditiMangaldas who is a former student ofboth Padmabhushan Kumudini Lakhiaand Padma Vibhushan Pandit BirjuMaharaj with her troupe showcased1 hour 15 minutes programme namedUncharted Seas.

The Kathak performance byAditi Mangaldas and her group waslike a chimera in light and shadethat conducted a search- physical,emotional, psychological into therealms of the unknown. UnchartedSeas was conceptualised,choreographed by Aditi. She alsodesigned the costumes and wasalso staged by Aditi. The vocalcompositions were done by ShubhaMudgal and Aneesh Pradhan andlights were designed by SanderLoonen. l

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theatre cafe | issue 2 | year 1

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