At a ManasRang session in Pune. (Express Photo: Mohit Sawant)
IT’S TAKEN 10 years for Anuradha Kale to get her son to step out. Nirmala Sumbe’s daughter has broken her silence and joined singing classes. Kedar Nath has finally found a space where he can talk freely, write poetry, even draw.
Last Friday, they were all there — mothers, fathers, sons, daughters — at a small wedding hall in Pune, happy and excited to be a part of an initiative that has been using expressive art forms like theatre to encourage communication among the mentally ill, changing over 200 lives in the last two years.
“We provide a creative space where they are not treated like patients. Earlier, even the simple act of smiling was so difficult for them. So coming together and expressing joy is a huge behavioural change that is enabled through music and other expressive art forms,” says Atul Pethe, the Marathi playwright who is behind this project.
This is ManasRang, says Pethe. Known for his experimental plays, Pethe is also the brain behind “Ringan-natya”, the street plays that played such a significant role in the anti-superstition movement of Narendra Dabholkar, who was gunned down on August 20, 2013, allegedly by men linked to a radical Hindutva outfit. Pethe is now associated with Parivartan, a trust run by Dabholkar’s son Hamid and which helps rehabilitate the mentally ill.
“The impact of art in social awakening was huge, so we felt that theatre can play a pivotal role in addressing the issue of mental illness. We are not here to teach them about theatre, but to help use theatre to return to life,” says Pethe.
The playwright’s main protagonist on this stage is Raju Inamdar, a 42-year-old theatre artiste who eggs the participants on, works on their expressions, urges them to narrate a poem or sing a song. For instance, what began as a recitation of letters of the Hindi alphabet last Friday was followed by songs where participants were nudged to move their hands and legs in tune with the music and lyrics.
According to Hamid Dabhoklar, a majority of those in ManasRang are battling some of the more common mental illnesses in India — schizophrenia, bipolar mood disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression.
“The dropout numbers are really low. Most of them wait for the Friday sessions,” says Dabholkar.
“Sometimes, one-to-one interaction can be dull and boring. And while we did not expect symptomatic relief with our techniques, what we are finding is an eagerness to step out of homes and look for jobs. One person told me that he had been under medication for depression for years but now, after being involved in our group activities, he has started to crack jokes once in a while,” he says.
According to mental health experts, such exercises should be an intrinsic part of conventional treatment.
“Professional psychiatrists need to send their patients at an early stage to participate in such group sessions. This is mainly because at the primary stages of illness they still have sufficient mental energy to be a part of such sessions. This exercise should form a part of regular treatment,” says Vasudeo Paralikar, former president of Pune Psychiatric Association.
After three hours at that wedding hall, where 25 people spread their wings that Friday, it’s easy to understand why.
“It took at least six home visits by counsellors for Anuradha’s son to make eye contact. Now, after so many years, he has stepped out of his home,” says Dr Amit Nulkar, a psychiatrist who is a part of ManasRang.
“My son is 41, and battling schizophrenia and OCD. He is still withdrawn and does not speak much, but he looks forward to these Friday sessions because he knows there are others like him here,” says Anuradha, 66.
Nirmala says her 28-year-old daughter suffered from depression after marriage. “She simply stopped talking to us. We did not understand this behaviour and when it worsened, decided to take medical advice. She went through a divorce. But after attending these Friday sessions, she has taken up a part-time job and even joined singing classes,” says Nirmala.
At 33, Nath, a postgraduate in economics, says he has been battling OCD since 1999. “I have attended one or two support groups to help me tackle my problem. But none has been like ManasRang,” he says.