BENGALURU: After 109 years of its publication, Hind Swaraj, the text that elucidates Gandhiji’s ideas of an ideal state and society, is being adapted for theatre in Kannada by Prasanna.
Prasanna is a noted theatre personality and Gandhian. His ambitious production Swarajyadata, an adaptation of the text, has been staged in 13 places across Karnataka and is coming to Bengaluru on January 8 at Ranga Shankara.
According to Mr. Prasanna, the play is ‘by, of and for the youth’. His search for Hind Swaraj commenced with the experiment of Charaka — a rural handloom women's collective in Bheemanakone.
On his journey in to adaptation of Hind Swaraj, Prasanna says, “When I was engrossed in the Badanavalu movement for sustainable living, my student Irfan Khan (the renowned Bollywood actor) and theatre artist Shutup Deb asked me to direct a play for them. I suggested Hind Swaraj , which was written in the form of a conversation.”
The first draft was in English. “Irfan cancelled all his shooting schedules and spent time with me for a week during the rehearsals in Mumbai. But somehow I felt that the play was yet to be refined. I came back and re-wrote the play in Kannada.”
The last draft took shape while rehearsing with actors of Rangavalli, an amateur theare group of Mysuru. Adapting this work with ideological text with little emotional content was really challenging, he adds.
Prasanna says that the play will be presented by two elders, who advocate Gandhian principles, and a group of youngsters. One of the elderly characters is the editor of a small newspaper while the other is Charlie Chaplin.
“The concept of Gram Swaraj emerges through their love, hate, fights, songs and dance,” says Prasanna.
