Such a long journey, on stage

Rammohan Holagundi

Nishumbita

Holagundi and his team draw attention to a gamut of subjects through street plays that they stage in nooks and corners of the Telugu states, apart from other regions in India. A practitioner of theatre since the late 80s, he’s observed the audience evolve. “It’s easier to stage unconventional subjects in urban centres. The educated, elite audience is open to watching different themes and participates in discussions. They look at it as a performance and nothing more. It’s tricky when we deal with certain subjects in rural regions where people get more involved. In collaboration with the US embassy, when we staged a street play in Medak district, the audience that included 35 sex workers shared their woes with us. Many of them were eager to have other means of livelihoods but didn’t have the resources or help to do so,” he shares.

Nishumbita revels in presenting tough productions like Natyashastra. While Holagundi is appreciative of the audience, he feels the theatre fraternity needs to be more mature and stand up for each other. He cites an example when his team was asked not to stage their theatre festival ‘Natotsav’ at Ravindra Bharathi last December, despite prior bookings, to make way for another group that came in with political influence. “We waged a lone battle. We tried to reason out and then staged a dharna. I tried to mobilise support through social media but very few turned up. Every other theatre group faces similar situations but won’t speak up for the fear of earning the wrath of the authorities,” he says. Holagundi feels Hyderabad needs more auditoriums, of smaller capacities, equipped with technical facilities.

Vinay Verma

Sutradhar

The Sutradhar group has been stoic in its journey, putting forth each of its productions with utmost professionalism. The group has dealt with topics as diverse as gay marriages and adoption rights (On Vacation, one of their productions eight years ago), to the story of one of the foremost Urdu poetess of Hyderabad from the 18th century (Mah Laqa Bai Chanda). The group does not play to the gallery. “It’s a conscious decision to not choose works merely to piggyback on well known playwrights, and we don’t dilute a concept with forced comedy. Theatre isn’t soap opera,” emphasises Vinay Varma.

When the group acquires rights to adapt international plays, like the recent Oleanna by David Mamet, which initiates a dialogue on sexual exploitation, the focus is on making the play suitable to Indian context and sensibilities. “The adaptation has to be relevant so that the audience understands the subtexts,” says Varma. He admits that at times, it takes him years to gain courage to stage certain plays. “I had read Agnes of God 15 to 20 years ago but we staged it only in 2015. One has to understand the play and stage it in a manner that it engages the audience,” he explains.

In a throwaway manner of speaking, we might take heart in the availability of more venues for cultural events today than, say, five years ago, but Varma points at the lacunae. “Open-air venues have their own challenges for stage set up, sound and lighting. Not all the time can you book larger halls like Ravindra Bharathi or Shilpakala Vedika. The capacity notwithstanding, sometimes theatre groups are asked to look out for other venues if a government programme comes in last minute. There is a need for smaller auditoriums on the lines of Mumbai’s Prithvi Theatre of Bengaluru’s Ranga Shankara,” he sums up.

Mohammad Ali Baig

Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation

The group prides in staging original Hyderabad productions in venues ranging from plush hotels to heritage monuments. Baig emphasises that theatre productions have to be worth the time and effort of the audience who have easy access to content on digital platforms. “If someone has to drive an hour to reach a venue and spend two hours watching a play, after a long day at work, it has to be worth it. We cannot offer them morbid themes or trashy comedies; we cannot be archaic. Quli Dilon ka Shahzada narrates a story from the 17th century but it has to appeal to the 21th century audience,” he states. Staging plays at venues like the Golconda Fort, Taramati Baradari and Chowmohalla Palace are charming since the monuments add to the aura, but the group has to be prepared to deal with acoustics and production challenges. “We enjoy these stage craft challenges,” says Baig. He feels theatre groups need to adapt to tough situations. “That’s how actors are tested,” he argues. Baig feels Hyderabad with its mix of amateur and professional theatre groups presents a vibrant picture. One of Baig’s productions, ‘Under an Oak Tree’, is gearing up for a premiere in London this April.