Bhands and Marasis from city to get platform in Delhi

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Neha Saini

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 15

Continuing with their efforts to revive and give a platform to the Bhand and Marasi community of the region, Dastak Theatre’s Rajendra Singh will be heading a team of 20 artists to perform at the Natya Samagam in Delhi. A calendar event by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the national festival of contemporary theatre practices, traditions and diverse cultural expressions, features some of the best folk and contemporary artistes in the country.

The project to revive and document the folk community of Punjab is being undertaken by the joint effort of Sangeet Natak Akademi and Singh, who has been researching the subject for the past two years. “Since the Akademi has been supporting and funding the project of documentation and revival of the Bhand and Marasi community through a series of cultural events held nationally, it is also making a case for them to be entered in the Intangible Cultural Items list of Unesco. After the Thathera community from Jandiala Guru, this will be the second such big revival project by the academy focused in Punjab,” said Singh. He adds that the Bhands, being one of the foremost social commentators and artistes in Punjab, need more than just a few grants from the government. “The Bhand-Marasis of Punjab have never been researched well before. Earlier, no help from private or government institutions reached them. So under such circumstances, our efforts can encourage them; these performances and discussions can provide them with fresh energy. I think, this way we can revitalize, promote and preserve the form very well. This way we can also document the authentic knowledge and information which could be helpful in creating a worthy database and research.”

Bhand-Marasi or Meerzaade are the representatives of the Punjabi folk-theatre form “Bhand Marasi”. This is known as one of the oldest form of folk music in Punjab, they all belong to the same sub-caste “Doom”. They mainly dwell on the countryside and when occasions such as child birth, marriages etc. occur, these bards and humorists reach there to felicitate them. Their art is a mix of entertainment, mimicry skills and witty conversations. While performing in front of the public, these Bhands hold a piece of special wax or newspaper called “chamauta” in their hands. They use it to beat their partner when he knowingly makes mistakes to entertain people.

The group of artists will perform a play, where these Bhaands will perform live for the audience. Directed by Rajendra Singh, the play will incorporate the folk art with the narrative. “In this festival, the play will present these folk artists in a very natural way. I mean the way they are. Though, the performance will be a little structured with a theme so that it could be performed in the proscenium,” said Singh.

Parvez, one of the members of the artist community, who family have been pursuing the tradition of being a Bhaand since five generations, is one of the members of the group. “The community desperately seeks revival since most of the members of the community have already shunned the art for other job possibilities. The survival is difficult for the families, who are still doing it. With such platforms, at least our art will be visible enough to get recognized again.”