‘Punjabi theatre being influenced by West’

Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 9

The three-day fifth world literary conference, being organised by Punjabi University’s Punjabi Literary Department, on “Punjabi Theatre: Achievements and Possibilities” got under way in the Senate Hall of the university here today. 

A former Director of the National School of Drama, New Delhi, Devinder Raj Ankur inaugurated the conference while Dr AS Chawla, Dean, Academic Affairs, presided over the inaugural session. Noted playwright Dr Atamjit presented the keynote address. While Dr Amritpal Kaur, HoD, welcomed the delegates, Registrar Dr Devinder Singh proposed the vote of thanks. 

Drawing a parallel between most popular Bengali and lesser attractive Punjabi theatres, Ankur said interestingly, both were started by foreign playwrights even as their plays were based on realistic genre. The art form of theatre was most arduous in nature as it started after the completion of the other forms of arts like poetry, novel or other fictional works on which it was based. 

Talking about the impact of new technology on theatre, he said the actor, most of the time, goes ‘invisible’ on TV and films in the complexities of these mediums as these were the ‘director’s medium’ where the latter sometimes single-handedly does the job of the writer, cameraperson, editor and producer.

In his address, Dr Atamjit said though the Punjabi theatre was yet to attain the stature of commercial theatre, it was fighting it out to match the Bengali and Marathi theatres. It was yet to produce a classic, he added. Folk theatre, he said, played the most significant role in other theatres while it was, by and large, missing in the Punjabi theatre. The most relieving factor vis-a-vis Punjabi theatre, however, was that it has kept itself away from vulgarity. Dr Atamjit wished that the Punjabi theatre crosses Indian boundaries to influence the Western theatre as it was being affected by the latter. He called upon the theatre groups and institutions to organise workshops and start short-term courses to promote Punjabi theatre.

Famous playwright and theatre director Ajmer Aulakh said some committed artistes and groups were doing a commendable job by staging plays in villages. He stressed upon the need to use modern technology to extend their reach to a large number of people. Plays, he added, were more close to life and thus could cast a stronger impact on the mindset of ordinary people than other forms of infotainment.

In his presidential address, Dr Chawla said life could not be seen in isolation to theatre while life itself was a drama, which started right from a child’s birth. 

Endorsing Aulakh’s views, he said audience was drifting away from theatre to TV programmes due to the glamour, style and reach of the latter. Theatre, however, he said could play a better role in changing the mindset and perspective of looking at life. 

Registrar Dr Devinder Singh said Punjabi University would not only keep its efforts up but would go in for adopting additional measures to promote theatre in the university and elsewhere. 

Dr Chawla released books and presented mementoes to the guests.