Where there’s passion, there’s a way

Jasmine Singh

Many of us build a world inside the world, a retreat, a safety space, a happy corner. We invest many things inside this world so that whenever we feel like, we can take refuge in it, and do whatever we feel like. 

Like some people we know of who pursue government jobs, in their outside world, going through files, endless paper work, taking notes from bosses, attending sarkari functions with a broad grin, but in the inside world they have a new designation, a theatre person. While handling the pressures of job and balancing their passion for theatre, each one of them challenges monotony in their own way.

Isn’t it absurd

Surjit Singh is a senior assistant at Military Hospital in Patiala, reporting to work at 8 every morning, he winds up work by 2.30 am and then off he scoots following the call of his heart-theatre. “I was a student of theatre in Patiala, I live theatre but I soon realised that we don’t always get what we yearn for, so, I took up the government job. After all ghar vi chalaana si,” shares Surjit who conducts theatre workshops at various colleges, universities and schools in the region. He has been doing workshops at Thapar University for almost five years. And all this, he manages while working in a government sector. “The reason I took up this job is because it gave me time to pursue my passion.” It’s not that he would have not taken any sarkari 9-5 job, “Then I would have to manage time in a better way maybe,” says he. Unlike other sectors, government jobs have their own demands, they might come with a long-term security tag but the piles of files on the table, records and data amassed, maintained, mandatory meetings... working 9-5 is not that easy too. “I cannot take up assignments outside my station,” rues Surjit. But this is where comes the balancing game. 

From office, straight to streets 

Sunny Sandhu, Establishment Officer at Markfed is one government employee who doesn’t let the fulcrum tilt in any one direction! He’s been attending office 9-5 from 1988 and almost every day after work, he runs to attend his rehearsals, nukkad natak, plays, acting in Punjabi music videos, Sunny finds time to pursue his passion. “It is not possible without the support of my seniors, my colleagues and family. My office understands my passion for theatre and supports me in it.”

Job vs. passion 

A job is their safe bet; none of them will give it away to run after their passion. A job is a necessity too, and they wouldn’t trade it to pursue only passion. The lot here believes in taking the practical approach. Mukesh Sharma, a radiography technician at GMCH-32 understands that he has a responsibility of running his family. “And thankfully my family and my office staff understands my need to pursue my passion as well,” he adds smilingly. 

Mukesh has a demanding job, he has to work in shifts, sometimes early in the morning and sometimes late in the night. After a tiring shift, rest is a must. “But I feel stress free when I do theatre, when I learn something or teach something.” Mukesh thinks that people have a perception about sarkari naukri. “They think it is a 9-5 job, we go back home, have a nice tea, take a stroll in the park and a nice family dinner. But to me it is a service which helps me do something for society in the inside and outside world.”

Whatever the challenges, each one here is ready to face them. For instance, Mukesh takes an off from work for long theatre workshops, Surjit doesn’t head home for lunch, Sunny Sandhu too doesn’t give himself leisure of strolling in a park after 5. And all this is definitely worth it. 

Ditto for Meena Chaudhary who works as part of the clerical staff in the Paediatric department of GMCH-32 who takes half day’s for her rehearsals sometimes and a full day off the day she has to perform. “After the entire day of work, theatre is a big de-stressor, and when people from my office I come to watch my plays, I like it even more.” 

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