The National School of Drama (NSD) has sought an explanation from director Suveeran for the inclusion of a nude scene in his play Bhaskara Pattelarum Thommiyude Jeevithavum staged at the Bharat Rang Mahotsav - International Theatre Festival of India in Puducherry earlier this month.
Speaking to The Hindu , Suveeran wondered whether the action had more to do with the political underpinnings of the play and his political speech at the end of the play, referring to the ongoing protests in the country.
NSD registrar P.K. Mohanty, in his letter, says the NSD chairperson and many other dignitaries present on the day had "huge objections to the scene, which they communicated verbally" to the registrar.
First performed in 1996
"This play was first performed in 1996, when it was staged at over 100 venues. Now, in this updated version, we have already performed at venues including ITFoK in Thrissur before an audience that comprises of distinguished personalities, all of whom had words of appreciation. The play itself raises questions of the power structures. Following the staging, I had made a speech questioning the silence of the NSD students when students from universities across the country are protesting against the government's policies. I wonder whether this is what led to this letter now," says Suveeran, who won the national award for best film for Byaari in 2011
In his letter to the NSD, he says he is amazed by their letter as the NSD has a rich legacy of promoting experimental plays as a part of its academic endeavours.
"I am reminded of an incident while I was a student in NSD. One of my plays was hailed by the faculty members of NSD though an actor was presented nude in the play and I was given the highest score for the play. There were many plays from the West showcased by NSD itself in which nudity was shown. But no incident of banning such plays or they being a topic of much discussion have never been reported," the letter says.
Explanation
"The protagonist of the play I directed is a slave who is almost always naked in the play. He is clad in a torn dothi which he uses to cover his nudity. At times the torn cloth is slipped from his hands and exposes his nudity for a while. This culminates in the final scene in which he runs away totally naked. It is a pity that all these things need to be explained to an institution like the NSD, which is the cradle of theatre experimentation in India," he says.
On the NSD's allegation that he committed breach of agreement as the DVD submitted while applying for participation did not have the nude scene, he says a play is not a mechanical imitation of the video documentation of its first performance. The DVD was sent for quality analysis.
The director is yet to get remuneration for the play. It is also set to be performed at the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards next month, which is incidentally being held at the NSD in Delhi.
