The modern acting hardly brings forth a creative and nuanced interpretation of the text and no longer reacts creatively to fictional stimuli. It fails to stay away from mimicry, imitation and exhibitionism and the pithy observation of the reputed critic Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, “We have actors but not the art of acting”, has become a lived reality. It prompted a celebrated theatre personality and author Parveen Shekhar to jog our memory about a fast-dwindling romantic art, theatre.
“Theatre is more than a career or an activity that facilitates entry to television and film. It is a creative exploration of the self, and a quest for starting a living dialogue with all that enriches ephemeral and eternal world,” articulates Parveen Shekhar in his adroitly conceived book,”Rang Srijan” recently published by Aashu Prakashan, Allahabad.
The gracefully slender book carrying a well thought out blend of insightful articles, reportage, features and conversation with prominent playwrights theatre practitioners engages intellectually with the nagging questions raised by a medium that offers tremendous potential for creativity. It is theatre that invests words with feelings through the prism of action, gesture and intonation. The first chapter “life via theatre” opens new possibilities and perspectives on an art form that stands independent of the written word.
Parveen is of the view that the sensitive world of theatre is alien to concepts such as “restriction”, “prohibited” and “no entry”. and it puzzles many to find someone in a rehearsal in a fast-paced world where the threat of identity crisis looms large. Parveen rightly asserts that it is an art exclusively linked with live performance. Here everything owes its existence present whereas in television and films it is contrived reality. The delusion and deception of theatre unravel multi-layered and immeasurable truth.
Parbhat Singh's introduction aptly sums up the central premise of the book by raising some pertinent questions. What is the underlying intent of drama? Is it entertainment, livelihood, preaching, popularity, propagation of ideas or a weapon or gratification of the soul or a quest for being human? To equate theatre with soul-stirring exercise is a romantic concept and both Parveen and Parbhat are in awe of it hence an objective appraisal of a distinct theoretical framework remains elusive.
The second chapter candidly spells out the contours of performing, entertaining and acting and it mentions that enthusiastic engagement of film stars with theatre is not more than a self-promotion activity. In no way, it betrays their dramatic prowess or bears testimony to tremendous public acceptance of theatre. Sometimes, the inner urge for acting seeks immortality through theatre but in many cases participation also affirms the presence of ever-increasing ambition. Politics aside, we fail to find awe-inspiring personalities in the realm of literature, culture and art hence we look up to film stars who hardly adhere to Brecht's “alienation effect” that urges the actors, “to make the spectator adopt an attitude of inquiry and criticism in his approach to the incidents portrayed.”
Elucidating the various layers of passive receptivity engulfing the spectators, Parveen points out that they are continuously fed on cinematic fantasy and reality-cruelty of TV shows and they have become the ‘third kid’ living in a space occupied by the Indian Premier League, “Big Boss and the like.
The author does well to separate the theatre goer from the mass audience of films.Parveen sounds convincing when he mentions, “Theatre itself is an enormous activity where the spectator feels emotionally attached with the dynamics of stage business but he remains active as he becomes a viewer, observer, amusement seeker and social activist simultaneously.” Theatre, he says, instils a strong sense of felt experience but it does not benumb the decision making ability.
Parveen brings together many anecdotes astutely and the fifth chapter titled, ‘sensitivity of folk and folk of sensitivity’ discusses Ram Leela which is deeply entrenched in our collective cultural consciousness. For the author, Ram Leela is not a performance it is a lived reality and ordinary Indian finds himself fully identified with the emotional and spiritual predicaments of Ram. The unforgettable tale may not usher in any substantial moral, social and political revolution but it is the most effective weapon for preserving sensitivity and human compassion.
Parveen discusses the works of Bhisham Sahni, Vijay Tendulkar and Shiv Murthy with critical acuity. The author has a vibrant conversation with prominent authors such as Shamsur Rehman Farooqui, B.V. Karanth, Raj Bisariya, Bhanu Bharti and Ratan Thiyam, covering a wide range literary, cultural and social concerns.
Seldom does one find perceptive discussion on the art of theatre in Indian languages and Parveen Shekhar skilfully tries to supplement that has been left out.
