Revisiting one of her earlier plays, noted writer-director Purva Naresh staged her latest offering Bandish 20-20000 Hz at New Delhi’s Kamani auditorium this past weekend. While Afsaneh: Bai Se Bioscope Tak traced the journey of bais and how they fared with bioscope coming into being, Bandish goes further in terms of time and exploration. It revolves around six characters, including four singers — two of past and two of present generation — who gather in a green room triggering a series of dramatic events and reactions, probing limitations placed on art and artists down the ages. “As the writer and director, my aim was to explore the theme of freedom and independence and at same time depict the milieu of the pre and post-1947 times. In the former, art forms like nautanki, folk art, baithaks and classical music and dance thrived, which with the passage of time waned yielding place to new forms like stage shows and, of course, new genres of singers.”
Purva adds, “By playing on the word ‘bandish’ which means composition as well as restrictions, I wanted to emphasise their importance in an artist’s life. It signifies both creativity and curtailment. The 20-20000 Hz is the hearing range of human beings. By banning a type of music and art not just what is performed but also what is heard gets limited.” Does it reflect the times we are living in? “Why just the present? Curtailment of artistic freedom has been going on for ages,” notes Purva.
Sense of fear
“This time around a certain sense of fear prevails that forbids people from voicing opinions. The first target are always creative people because it is they who voice dissent .”
The play deals with the issue of gender bias too. “Yes, having read and seen how women were and are treated in the society, it is natural it to creep in though there is no deliberate attempt. The back stories of the two characters Beni Bai and Champa Bai do highlight how despite being talented they are relegated because of the gender.”
A scene from the play
By bringing artists of different eras on the same platform, the play delves into how things have changed while at the same time remained same. The younger lot of musicians represented by Kabir and Moushmi drive home the necessity of demanding high fees, organic salad, fruit juice, pick up and drop by expensive cars as mandatory, in order to maintain their status and value. While Beni and Champa were subjected to force toe line by British and subsequently by authorities of independent India, they face restrictions in the form of pressure from social media.
Prisoners of image
“Kabir and Moushmi are prisoners of their image which assumes a bigger role than singing. Beni when not allowed to perform on radio vows not to sing again and Champa Bai’s nautanki loses out to new forms of entertainment. Thus they all are hemmed in but being singers they want to do what they do best, that is sing,” explains Purva. This happens when casting aside their differences and restrictions they sing together: “Mera Chain Gayaa Meri Neend Gayi…” penned by the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.
By using nautanki and baithak as backdrop, the play brings to fore the contempt practitioners of classical music had for folk and street art. “Slotting arts as popular and classical does not help the art. Likewise dividing it on religious lines makes bizarre as music and dance need to be viewed purely from an aesthetic prism,” comments Purva.
Purva, known to choose subjects for her plays with great deliberation, feels it is indeed vital. “Whatever be the creation, it is must convey to the audience something of importance or reflect what is going on. At the same time, I do not want to lose out on storytelling.” Suffusing humour in the play, the director has ensured that the narrative does not become boring. One character who stands outis Munnu. “Beni Bai and Munnu are based on my grandmother, a baithak singer and her brother. Munnu’s is a wise old fool who, having experienced plenty in life, holds a mirror to everyone in the play. An important cog, he enlivens proceedings while giving a reality check on people and situations.”
Having been formally trained in Kathak and mridangam, Purva has woven songs and dance sequences in the play seamlessly. Purva says her grounding in classical arts immensely helped her to incorporate these elements in the plays for her group Aarambh. “I feel they enhance the theatrical experience without in any way distracting the audience attention from the main theme. In fact, they make it evocative and engaging.” Citing an instance, she says, “In the scene where Beni is commanded by the British officer to start performing by clapping, she too uses clapping in her performance signifying her defiance to the colonial rulers.” The choreography by Bhaavesh Gandhi is stand out feature of the play as is the music composed by Shubha Mudgal for all but two compositions.
Having set the ball rolling for Aadyam festival, she is now ready with two plays for Curve which will be staged later in the year in Australia. “I have very limited time to do so,” she says before rushing off.
