The soothing and earthy sounds of the harmonium wafted in through the driveway of SAHMAT, the hallowed grounds of Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust on Delhi’s Ferozshah Road, on a quiet Saturday afternoon. A chorus of sonorous male voices broke into one of Kabir’s dohas, ‘Sadho, dekho jag baurana! (Oh seekers, see the world’s gone mad!).A rehearsal of M.K. Raina’s critically acclaimed play “Kabira Khada Bazar Mein” was in progress. Raina’s fingers deftly played the harmonium, a group of young men sang with their eyes closed as if in a trance, the ceiling fan softly whirred overhead.
Written by Bhisham Sahni, and directed by Raina “Kabira Khada Bazar Mein” became a tour de force in the ’80s as it evoked a huge response from people all over the country. Raina brings this play yet again to Delhi with a completely new cast of 25 young men and women, mostly college and university students, as a tribute to Bhisham Sahni on his centenary year and also to celebrate the 27th National Street Theatre Day which falls on April 14. As the first scene of the play begins, Raina interrupts the cast to stress on the fact that Kabir’s dialogues must be spoken with the right intonation. “Kabir ke toh alfaz nahin hain.Kabir ki zuban hain. Alfaaz shabd toh Turki aur Brahmano ke liye hain” (Kabir’s sayings aren’t mere words; they are a language replete with deep wisdom. Words are the domain of Turks and Brahmins.)
The fact that after running a full house for 15 years in different parts of the country, the play is all set to be staged at the city’s Shri Ram Centre on April 14, only goes to show that its appeal and relevance has endured the test of time. “In the fast changing political temper of the country, the cacophony of dissenting voices on religion, social mores and traditions, Kabir’s sayings are a wake-up call for all of us. He is a cementing force, a glue that shall bind and heal. His words must reach millions. Therefore, this play is so relevant now,” says Raina as he plays out a particularly emotionally charged scene to his new crew.
Raina says that through this play, he has attempted a more inclusive interpretation of Kabir’s vision. Set in Varanasi in the time of Sikander Lodi, the play will bring out the oppressions of the local kings and the Brahmin priests against those who do not belong to the high Brahmanical order and thereby making an oblique reference to the deep divides of class and caste, religious intolerance and the widening hiatus between the rich and the poor in the present time.
Considering the social relevance of the play and its erstwhile fame, there should have been corporate support or perhaps Government support for the play. “Plays are the biggest voluntary enterprise in the world and in India, plays are staged with minimal financial support from any quarters. Plays are a labour of love. You need to be passionate enough to come to rehearsals day after day and perform without any money. None of my team members will be paid for their performance as there is no money to pay after taking care of the production cost, rental of the auditorium and other expenses. They know this and yet they are willing to go on stage and give their best,” says Raina as Kabir, the protagonist played by Rakesh Kumar Singh nods in agreement. Raina further says that there is no priority for cultural activities in Delhi and therefore, there is very little in terms of financial support available to encourage theatre groups to perform in a professional and sustained manner. Barring South Delhi which has only few auditoriums one can count on fingers, the rest of Delhi has no auditoriums to speak of where plays can be staged. Be that as it may, the team of “Kabira Khada Bazar Mein” is full of verve and enthusiasm for they feel that Kabir shall speak through each one of them as the curtain goes up for what is expected to be a riveting performance that Delhi has seen in a long while.
(The play “Kabira Khada Bazar Mein” will be staged at New Delhi’s Shri Ram Centre on April 14.)
