India is one of the richest countries in the world to have myriad forms of folk theatreand visual arts, a product of socio-historic and economic forces, reflecting the collective wisdom of the people. The Indian People’s Theatre Association shows us the way these forms could be recreated and re-interpreted to reflect contemporary sensibility. Lok Natya Samaroh organised by Sahitya Kala Parishad, Delhi recently at Shri Ram Centre illustrated the vitality, the adaptability of these forms to new social content and their emotional profundity.
Viewed against this backdrop, “Aurat Ki Jung” presented by Darpan, Lucknow is a significant production. It is not a presentation of Nautanki as a theatre form, highlighting its captivating music and earthy humour but a dramatised depiction of the life of a Nautanki actress who dared to enter and excel in a cruel male dominated world.
At another level, the production comments on the relationship between society, artist and the necessity of freedom for artist to humanise society. The elements of Nautanki, especially music are used sparingly to reinforce the content and atmosphere.
One of the highlights of the production is its design. The action keeps on shifting from one locale to another spreading to the past and present. Structurally, it is a drama-within-the drama. Emotionally charged scenes and violent confrontations between the actors when out of character take place in the green room. It explores the whole personal world of folk artists, their trials and tribulations and rare moments of happiness. The stage is designed in a way that ensures a clear view of the scenes set in the green room to the audience. Upstage a platform is raised to enact scenes of Nautanki in a traditional style – male playing the female roles and resorting to melodrama. We watch the reactions of the audience of that era, its crude taste and philistine outlook. The present is enacted on the downstage. In the green room scenes we watch the blossoming of passionate love, painful heartbreaks and hysterical lamentation over betrayals – all these create a poignant imagery.
The play is directed by Urmil Kumar Tapliyal, Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee and an eminent theatre personality of Lucknow who has directed more than 150 plays of Darpan. While working for his Ph.D. on theatre of dialectics, he collected notation of Nautanki theatre of different schools. He captured the imagination of theatre goers of Delhi when he staged his “Harishchander Ki Ladai” in Delhi nearly three decades ago. Using the elements of Nautanki, it depicts the conflict of a Nautanki actor playing the role of mythological Satya Harishchander with modern corrupt society.
Written by Asif Ali, “Aurat Ki Jung” revolves around a Nautanki Actress Champa Bai.
She has the power to make and unmake any Nautanki company. It is not a life of great achievements but a life of betrayals and misery.
Interspersed with vigorous dances with elements of seductiveness and soul-stirring music, the director has used old traditional Dadra and Thumri to impart emotional depth to the characterisation.
The performers are seasoned actor-singers, steeped in the Nautanki style of theatrical form. In the role of Champa Bai, two female performers are cast representing the youth and the old stage. Archna Shukla as the ageing Champa Bai imparts to her character a great deal of emotional depth . Meeta Pant as the young Champa Bai is endowed with a mellifluous voice and an elegant state presence. Her Champa Bai casts spell over her rich patrons. Amit Dikshit as Sutradhar is superbly cast who sings beautifully, offering the audience thrilling moments.
Another play that illustrates the relevance of folk forms to enact a modern play effectively is Shankar Shesh’s acclaimed play “Poster” presented at the festival by the Performer Udaipur under the direction of Laik Hussain in Gabri folk form of Rajasthan, popular in Mewar and Udaipur for its mythological overtones.
The play opens with traditional invocation to Lord Ganesha. The play depicts the gradual awakening of factory workers exploited by the owner, a Thakur.
While retaining the elements of the form like singing of devotional songs to the accompaniment of beats of drum and dances, the director has convincingly conveyed the message of the play – the need for workers unity to resist the oppression of the factory owners and launch movements to secure better wages and humane working conditions.
The Thakur uses religion to subject workers to an illusionary world that lulls their consciousness.
The director has synthesized the form of the folk style with content, creating compositions on the stage with intense inner motivation.
The music, songs, theme and dances are beautifully orchestrated to make an artistic whole, awakening us socially and politically to the existing inhuman practice of exploitation of working class.
