NRI researcher finds Indian, Pak theatre identical

Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 12

A non-resident Indian (NRI) from Boston in the USA, on a hunt to trace the theatrical nuances based on community building in Asia, has reached Jammu to study the Natrang theatre group’s endeavors in the field.

Devika Ranjan, 19, originally from Kanpur and Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, USA, has been offered Raines Fellowship by the university for a study tour of India, Pakistan and Nepal to research on community building theatre activities pursued in these countries as mean of social change.

“I took up my participant observant session with the Natrang theatre group, Jammu, that has done broad research work on ‘Bawa Jitto’, which is an internationally acclaimed production of the group. Also, the Ajoka theatre group of Pakistan gave me an in-depth know how on how it has helped in community building through its famous production ‘Bullah’,” said Devika Ranjan.

Devika said while on her fellowship study on theatre, she had interacted with many people from Pakistan and India and found abundant similarities between the both, not on the theatrical front only, but for their longing for brotherhood and peace among themselves.

“I found both the people of India and Pakistan are on the same page as far as their views on art, culture, language, food, clothing and mannerism are concerned. Like Indians, Pakistanis, too, are equally sound in presenting and performing the theatre of quality that perfectly connected to my fellowship demands,” said Devika.