Plays relevant to modern times
By Rama Sharma
SHIMLA’s historic Gaiety Theatre, the abode of 162-year-old Amateur Dramatic Club (ADC), throbbed with dramatic activity during the club’s second one-act play competition held recently.

Khajuraho’s salute to millennium
The world is expected to stay awake on the night of December 31. As the clock strikes midnight, televiewers will see how different parts of the world herald in the new millennium — and Khajuraho, the Indian town will form part of this global live telecast.

Audioscan by ASC

Workshop with a difference
By Prem Singh
NEWSPAPERS liven up the morning and become waste by evening. Many quintals of old newspapers piled over the years in the College of Art Hostel, Chandigarh, were ready for disposal to the “raddiwalas”. However, the creative mind in the college had other ideas.

Theatre with the ‘not so fortunate’
By Nonika Singh

POVERTY-ridden, mosquitoes-infested slums mirroring the paradox that our economy is and the flight of fancy, the realm of the make-believe based on the power of histrionics i.e. theatre — never the twain shall meet. Ah, but they do and the meeting point comes in the shape of Zulfikar Khan, a product of the Department of Theatre, Panjab University, Chandigarh, who has been working with slum children for over a decade now.

True, when he passed out, treading the footsteps of his predecessors, he too was fascinated by grandiose productions, lavishly mounted sets and professional actors. In 1980, the nation’s Capital beckoned and he became a part of the Shri Ram Centre repertory. Herein, he was exposed to the very best in theatre. From stalwarts like B.V. Karanth to Anamika Haksar to Anuradha Kapoor, he was influenced by all. But the singular guiding inspiration came from Habib Tanvir who was then working with tribals of Chattisgarh. Mohan Maharishi’s UGC project brought him back to City Beautiful. A chance incident — call it providence — an altercation with a VIP child’s ward during the rehearsal of a play, forced him to introspect. The inward journey led him towards the children of a lesser god.

Over a period of time he trained a bunch of shoeshiners, ragpickers, domestic labour amongst others. His efforts bore fruit in the shape of a play “Raja aur Kissan”. Since then, his group, Theatre Age, has several productions to its credit. Though the play, “Jis Lahore Nahin Wekheya” (in which he amalgamated actors from different streams of life, including the slums) ran to packed audiences and won him critical acclaim, yet he insists that theatre isn’t a means of entertainment. He says, “It’s a powerful medium, a therapeutic tool which can work wonders in offsetting the malaise woven in our socio cultural fabric”. Small wonder the leitmotif running through his plays is always social. In “Shauq se Aadat Bani” he tackles the hydra-headed monster of addiction. In “Jaanwar Hota Aadmi” he delves into the sensitive issue of animal rights, whereas “AIDS” and “Lottery Bazaar” handle problems as the nomenclature suggests.

Though his plays have been fairly effective in delivering the socially relevant messages, especially to the common man, his detractors accuse him of donning the garb of society’s conscience-keeper to promote himself. He agrees that today it has become fashionable to espouse social causes. Often the poor are used as guinea pigs by society’s elite to climb up the social ladder. Nevertheless, he contends that he is not paying lip service to the principles he sincerely believes in. He adds, “Were it so, I would have discarded them by now. But I haven’t lost touch with a single child I have worked with”. Indeed, his hasn’t been a “once-in-a-while” sporadic exercise, but a consistent, continuous endeavour which involves daily meetings with the not-so-blessed.

Often his efforts have been stonewalled. But he has continued undeterred. Recognition too has come only in fits and starts. In 1994 he was adjudged “the most creative person” and Doordarshan considered it befitting to make a documentary on his troupe titled “Adbhoot Bachche”. Sure, help has poured in, both in kind and cash, from certain like-minded persons from different walks of life. Besides, Zulfi agrees to stage a play even if the sponsorship money is barely enough to meet his shoestring budget.

Interestingly, this talented director, who today boasts “I have city’s best actors working for me”, was himself also bitten by the acting bug. But a brief dalliance in the tinsel town cured him of the mania as he returned from Bombay convinced that the “sapnon ki nagari” was fit only for “double speak hyporcrites” and “fawning sycophants.”

But isn’t he too creating a diametrically opposite twin worlds for the children he is so obviously fond of? Isn’t he leading them astray by making them taste a world which is totally divorced from their ethos? Zulfi replies, “Sure enough, theatre isn’t a paying vocation even for professional actors. My aim is not to produce stars and earn mileage through them. I only want their boundless energies to be channelised creatively. Otherwise, they too will get embroiled in criminal pursuits”. While this claim of Zulfi is rather debatable and contestable, what remains indisputable is the immense joy that theatre is bringing into the lives of the “not so fortunate”.

With enthusiasm writ large on their otherwise famished faces, uttering their dialogues without faltering, etching out different characters, they can realise their dreams for at least a few moments. Perhaps, the pleasure is vicarious. But for a while, they can bid adieu to the miseries encompassing their pitiful existence and revel in the attention that comes their way. Occupying centrestage — even if briefly — these children forget that destiny, society and the Almighty have otherwise marginalised them. Kudos to Zulfi who one day hopes to have a repertory of slum children, for making them believe in their power within.

Plays relevant to modern times
By Rama Sharma

SHIMLA’s historic Gaiety Theatre, the abode of 162-year-old Amateur Dramatic Club (ADC), throbbed with dramatic activity during the club’s second one-act play competition held recently.

The competition presented 10 plays, seven under the category for college/university and three from Shimla-based amateur theatre groups. For the first time, outstation entries were received from Government College, Bilaspur, and Government College, Hamirpur.

The award-winning best play, “Line, Line aur Line” came from the Sankalp Manch theatre group, which lifted ADC’s Nirangan Dass Memorial Running Trophy for the second time. The play was a stinging satire on the prevailing socio-economic and political systems in the country. It realistically depicted the prevailing corrupt system where the rich and powerful and politically ambitious unscrupulous elements thrive at the cost of simple, honest and patriotic citizens who are becoming a part of ever-lengthening line (queue) to get access even to their basic rights. The play with racy dialogues, folk style, theme song and outstanding choreography became an instant hit with the audience. The play also bagged best director’s and actor’s prizes for Rupesh Bhimta and best actress award for Shivani Kapoor under the Amateur Theatre groups category.

In the category of college/university, the Jagat Ram Kesra Dei Running Trophy was lifted by HP University Evening College, Shimla, for “Yaksha Prashan”. Adapted from Dr Lakshmi Narain Lal’s famous Hindi play of the same name, the theme came alive under the direction of Dr Kamal Manohar Sharma. Saurabh Chauhan as the “yaksha” got the best actor’s award. Set in the Mahabharata times, but equally relevant to the modern times, the play with a strong script pointed out how the increasing individualism is harmful for society. The question-answer debate between the “yaksha” and Yudhishtra also stressed the importance of the Greek philosophy which says a questing mind is the key to knowledge. In the process the person develops higher thinking which benefits not only the contemporary but also the future generations. “Yaksha Prashan,” with an improvised version, was also staged by the Amateur Theatre group, but HP University Evening College won hands down.

Kalindi Desai of Rajkiya Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Shimla, was declared best actress for her role in “Maiya Mori”, a Hindi adaptation of J.B. Priestly’s play, “Mother’s Day”. The adaptation was done by Shri Niwas Joshi.

“Rang Nagari” enacted by Government College, Sanjauli, bagged the best director’s prize for K.S.Bhardwaj.

“Sawarg ka Passport” was put up by St Bede’s Girls College, Shimla, as well as the Abhilasha Amateur Theatre group. The play dealt with different characters of the society like trader, clerk, lawyer, religious guru etc. Trying for a seat in heaven, each character brings out the evils afflicting that particular class of the society.

“Ram Nagari” was a lively satire on exploitation of the masses by vily politicians and religious leaders.

Government College, Kotshera’s play “Refund”, focussed on commercialisation of the education system, where money and not the merit of the student is the consideration.

“Taambe ke Keere,” presented by Government College, Bilaspur was an attempt to simplify the philosophy of the general existence of an ordinary person and individual’s dependence on the state and the social system.

“Sab Ka Malik Ek” by Government College, Hamirpur, was a satire on the caste system which still holds sway over parts of rural Himachal.

The competition plays proved that theatre could easily prove to be a medium of the both entertainment and instruction.

Major-Gen Parath Sen of Army Training Command gave away the prizes.

Khajuraho’s salute to millennium

The world is expected to stay awake on the night of December 31. As the clock strikes midnight, televiewers will see how different parts of the world herald in the new millennium — and Khajuraho, the Indian town will form part of this global live telecast.

This city of the love temples was chosen for this rare privilege because it is one of the few places in the world where a millennium is actually being celebrated, for the Khajuraho temples were built between 900 and 1100 AD and are in fact a 1,000 years old.

The celebrations of the millennium have already resulted in a major achievement: the excavation of what is probably the largest temple in Khajuraho. Until now, only 20 of the 85 temples built by the Chandela dynasty had been excavated and restored to their pristine glory. But with Khajuraho becoming the centre of attention and some budgetary allocation; one of the huge mounds around the area was dug up to reveal the large temple. One of the prized acquisitions was a statue of the goddess Saraswati with four hands.

The celebrations to mark a millennium of temples of Khajuraho, which have always excited public curiosity about their objective or purpose, commenced with the Khajuraho dance festival in March this year when President K.R. Narayanan was present, and will conclude with same festival next year. The celebrations included an international sculptors meet, Pacific Asia Tourism Association (PATA) educational workshops, film, theatre and music festivals and seminars on art and the environment.

Mr Kanti Poddar of Orient Poddar, who conceived the idea of the celebrations and is its coordinator, told UNI that a sound and light programme was commencing at Khajuraho from September 27 this year. A tribal arts museum had already been set up by the Madhya Pradesh Government, and a separate site had been set aside for a plantation park, where every tourist could pay Rs 200 and plant a tree in his name. The railway station had been renovated and the road leading to Khajuraho had been recognised as a national highway. The millennium celebrations had also been noticed by Encyclopaedia Britannica which contained a mention of Khajuraho.

Mrs Pramila Poddar, who is convener of the Khajuraho Chapter of Intach, said the Bharatiya Jnanpith had published anthologies on the temple, and Music Today had brought out cassettes on them, and a CD-rom was being brought out on the temples early next year. A series of lectures had commenced this month in Delhi, Bangalore. Mumbai, Chennai and Calcutta, and will also be held in Khajuraho in October, November, January and February.

Nine Indian and foreign biographical feature films on artistes, including two on the painter Vincent Van Gough, are to screened in the Capital in a special film festival, “Celebrating the artist”, has been organised by Orient Express and the Asian film quarterly ‘Cinemaya’. The foreign films, all on painters, are: “Van Gogh” by Maurice Pialat, “The Life and Death of Van Gogh” by Australian filmmaker Paul Cox, “Andrei Rubles” by Russian Andrej Tarkovsky, Georgian film “Pirosmani” by Georgi Shengalaya, and Iran’s “The Autumn Alley”. The Indian films include “Tansen” by Jayant Desai made in the early 40s and “Baiju Bawra” by Vijay Bhatt made in 1952, the others are “Sant Tukaram” by Fatehlal Damle (1936) and the more recent Mani Kaul’s “Siddheshwari”.
— UNI

Audioscan by ASC
Annamika’s variety programme

NAINA (Milestone): Those who aspire to be established singers should desist from doing remix versions of popular numbers of other singers. Right? Wrong, if you ask Annamika. Because she has included not one but two film songs in this album.

One is Tumko piya dil diya kitne naaz se...... In fact, the cassette begins with it. Then is Chadhti jawani meri chaal mastani, toone kadar na jaani Rama....

It is another matter that she makes amends of sorts by having some other promising original numbers. It would have required quite a bit of courage to incorporate a semi-classical number like Lage naina lage tum sang saiyan.... in a pop album. The name of her co-singer, Naim Ali, is mentioned in small print as additional lead vocal.

The album is virtually a variety programme. On one hand Annamika warbles Why pretend... in New York English and on the other she goes Punjabi ethnic in Sona dis da, sona dis da mera mahee.... In the process she does strange things to the pronunciation of Indian words like “meharbani”, which is made to rhyme with “haani”, a Punjabi word.

Surprise of surprise, there is even a patriotic quawwali, Hai aman ka pujari, Hindustan hamara.... No there is no bhajan!

All lyrics are by Annamika except, of course, Tumko piya.... and Chadhtee jawani....

ADDITAPPA (Virgin): The Hinglish scene is really getting crowded. The new entrants are three pretty girls Candy, Liesl and Cheryl. They have fused the first letters of their names to form the group, Caliche. It is their first album, although the trio has been together for seven years doing backup vocals in many Indian pop albums and giving pop concerts.

For them composer Raju Singh has consciously chosen the ’80s disco sounds with which the girls had grown up and idolised artistes like the Bee Gees, Earth, Wind and Fire and Sister Sledge.

His claim that the three are good at their harmonies and in sync with one another stands the test of listening.

Instrumentation is pure western, but some of the songs like Pyar nahin.... have typical Indian rhythms.

Aa kareeb aa.... is a sweet, soft number but the main focus is on the title song, Additappa...., which also has a sing-along track. The problem is that its tune is too similar to the Govinda hit, kisi hotel mein jayen.... But for that shortcoming, it would have been a worthwhile inclusion. Its lyrics are by Shyam Anuragi while all others are by Roop Jauhari.

Falling in Love (Tips): When you plan to come out with a debut album, you should have at least eight songs ready. Vicky Singh makes do with just six and smuggles in two film songs, Tera rang balle balle... (Sonu Nigam) and I love you, I love you... (Shankar Mahadevan) to complete the quorum.

Among the rest, one is a solo by Jaspinder Narula (Dil dhak dhak....), two duets and three solos by Vicky. If Dil ko na jaane kya ho gaya.... has good tune, it has ordinary singing. In the case of Falling in love....,the reverse is true. Composers Amol-Vikram should have realised that an original song should sound better than the tunes one hears at wedding processions. Na mujhko chahiye... (Suhasini and Vicky) is the case in point.

Workshop with a difference
By Prem Singh

NEWSPAPERS liven up the morning and become waste by evening. Many quintals of old newspapers piled over the years in the College of Art Hostel, Chandigarh, were ready for disposal to the “raddiwalas”. However, the creative mind in the college had other ideas.

Hostelers and faculty members got together and explored the possibility of using old newspapers for their expression. This culminated into a paper sculpture workshop. Artist-teacher Manmadha Rao was asked to conduct the workshop.

The workshop was exclusively for students residing in the boys’ hostel of the college. Girls were also enthusiastic about participating in it, but the authorities decided to organised another workshop for them in their hostel soon.

Well-known sculptor Shiv Shigh, who is also the Chairman of Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akadmi, was invited to open the workshop held recently. An area in the hostel premises which was covered by wild growth was spruced up by the students themselves. Wilderness soon gave way to the students’ surging power of creativity.

Twentytwo students studying paintings, applied art, sculpture and graphics (printmaking) at various levels in the college got together and created an ambience in the creative of Manmadha Rao.

Organising the workshop in the hostel had an advantage. One can work for long hours unlike the rigorous of the timings in the college. It was indeed commendable to observe the students working late in the night in the open during winter.

Soon paper sculptures of varying sizes and shapes started emerging. Another interesting feature of the workshop was that the students exercised utmost restraint in the use of colour. The excessive use of colour in sculpture often mars the form and expression.

The sculptures, though made of fragile material, were imaginatively conceived so as the present a feeling of solidness and firmness. You only realised their lightness when you lifted these.

The workshop proved that it is the creating urge which is the uppermost. Means and material to express the urge just follow.

Encouraged by the impressive array of sculptures produced by the students of different disciplines, the authorities have decided to display these at a special exhibition in the college.