The interview of Dakxin Bajrange is been posted here, it was originally posted on
http://museindia.com/showfeature3.asp?id=670Seetha B T,
Muralikrishna CSeetha BT : Budhan, the Third Theatre
A new kind of unconventional theatrical art called the alternative theatre or the third theatre aims to remove the barrier between the performer and the spectator. It tends to liberate theatrical expression both from the Western influence and the Indian tradition of folk theatre. It is the experimental theatre form which denies following any set rules or predefined norms of theatrical arts. It is often reductively described as 'street theatre'.
In tune with the concept of alternative theatre, “Budhan Theatre” tries to create an intimate theatre by using various dimensions of space; emotional, intellectual, social and psychological more on the streets and public spaces then on the stage, though not shying away from the performances on the stage as well. It does not create an illusion of reality but tries to recreate reality in a given space. The mask of respectability is shattered by the stark reality of life. Such theatre is presented with an urgency and fervour of a revolutionary pamphlet or as a writing on the wall, to over come limitations of dramatic and theatrical conventions by abandoning the proscenium theatre and performance aids as lighting sets and make up, while emphasizing nonverbal ways of communication, and breaking down the rural urban divide. The third theatre tries to build the actor-audience relationship into an intense exchange of energy, undiluted by the superfluity of extravagant costume, facial make up, set design or lights. However sound and music as non verbal communication are used effectively. Therefore the third theatre strives to tear down all kinds of barriers, evolve a form which involves everyone - actors, audience and people around – during the different stages of production and thus serve theatre's purpose of effective communication, socially and creatively. Similarly, “Theatre with a Purpose”, “Art for Acceptance”, “Art for Livelihood”, are some of the terms that sum up the character of Budhan Theatre where the actors are born artists who have been constantly fighting against the stigma of being ‘born criminals’.
The struggle to overcome this stigma, in a world that often tries to implicate the innocent, the ignorant, the needy and the nomad, is one of commitment and dedication. Adivasis , the forest dwellers, living in a world cut off from the so called civilized society which is bogged down by progress, power, competition, greed and avarice, merely expected food, shelter, clothing and basic protection from the maladies of nature. However, when these basic needs were not within reach they tried to move from place to place. Further the idea of man’s progress and exploration, and of dwindling forest cover forced the forest dwellers to adapt themselves to a state of uprooted-ness.
As Devy says; ‘The political idiom of the forest-dweller is always abrupt. It understands relations and loyalties but no authority. This idiom suddenly acquires a strange energy and finds a voice.’ ( A Nomad Called Thief ) This voice we find in the form of action for survival, an action to justify their stand, an action to absolve themselves of the stigma inflicted upon them, in the formation of Budhan Theatre.
During the UGC National seminar on Relocating Theatre / Drama in English and in Translation held at Nizam College from 4th to 6th January 2007, Budhan Theatre Group performed a play based on the stories of Mahasweta Devi directed by Alok Gagdekar.
Conversation with Dakxin Bajrang
Dakxin Bajrang Chhara is an award winning filmmaker, playwright, actor, director and activist from the Chhara Community of Ahmedabad in western India. He is the Founder of Budhan Theatre. Here, B T Seetha and C Muralikrishna engage him in a lively discussion on this alternative theatre.
BT Seetha : Budhan Theatre, named after Budhan of Kheria Sabar community in West Bengal’s Purulia district who died in police custody, started with a purpose of creating awareness amongst a specific group of people. Could you elucidate the objectives of your theatre group?
Dakxin : The primary objective was, and is, to make people aware about the Denotified Tribes and present situations in which they are living, through the medium of theatre; and theatre for us is an inherent art. Our theatre, we think, should be a cultural expression of all denotified tribes to sensitize mainstream society, legal system, and the judiciary that we are not ‘Born Criminals’ but we are ‘Born Actors’. After 8 years of theatre practice I can say unreservedly that Budhan Theatre Group became a ‘Theatre for Community Development’…theatre that allows growth in performers and as well as in a community.
C MuraliKrishna : What prompted you to choose theatre as expression rather than other genres?
Dakxin : Our forefathers were traditionally performers. They were skilled musicians, dancers and singers. They were ‘Nomads’ they used to move from place to place. After independence and their settling down in 1952, these performers were seen and treated as criminals by the society and the system. Settlement life finished their traditional way of life and these people started petty crimes for their survival. I should say that they used their traditional performing talent for thieving…Yes. There is a Theatre art in thieving which becomes our inherent talent. It is in our genes. Before the visit of Mahasveta Devi and Dr. Devy in Chharanagar in 1998, we arranged many theatre competition events in Chharanagar. Why Theatre event? Why not other kind of events? I don’t know. Don’t you think that these performing genes were moving somewhere in our soul and body to sustain this traditional talent? In 1998 we got an opportunity to express our life through Theatre and it worked, so we decided to carry this forward…we can live a life of dignity through theatre…Theater helps us in social acceptance…We did not have any other genre, or say talent, except theatre which revived our traditional talent and gave us a ‘Voice’.
BTS : What kind of performances did your forefathers perform? Were they mythological or social?
Dakxin : Some of our fore fathers were very good singers and dancers, some among them were very good acrobats…During their nomadic life they used to sing and dance publicly and earn their livelihood. That means our basic livelihood was our performing skills. Today in chhara community you can find very good singers and dancers. When all these performing talents became irrelevant due to technological development people started petty crime for their livelihood. They used to perform an ‘Invisible Theatre’. It is a theatre not to be watched but a theatre to distract so that the performer along with his team can steal and today even after 60 years of independence these communities don’t have constitutional guarantee .
BTS : What have been the responses / reactions to your performances?
Dakxin : If I talk about Budhan, Pinyahari Kale Ki Maut , and Encounter (Street Plays), people’s reaction initially used to be one of surprise. They could not believe that this kind of atrocities can be done by police on certain tribes. Many times audiences raise several questions. They start to think and sometime write. I have never felt that our performance was not admired in the last 8 years of theatre practice. Sometimes people came to us with tears. I always heard these words from the audience...“Your performance was so realistic.” Yes, it is because it comes from personal experience.
BTS : How spontaneous is your performance? You wrote a few plays, were these plays performed first or written to be performed?
Dakxin : Last year, one of our actors named Sandeep, of Budhan Theatre, was sent to jail by the police in a false case. He spent 2 months in jail and applied for parole to give his University exam. It was granted by the court and he came out, appeared for the exam. He had to return to jail on 28th Feb. 2006…on 26th we were preparing to perform a play in Kaleshwari Mela. He came to me and said ‘Dakshin bhai, before I return to jail I want to perform a play’ I said ‘no you can’t. You did not practice and were not with us during the rehearsals and it is a new play’. ‘Doesn’t matter, I will come and please allow me to improvise a character, he said. I agreed.
We went. He performed spontaneously. DNT commission was present during this performance. Along with other actors he performed, it was his life’s most energetic performance. So, that is an example of our spontaneous performance. That is our life. I never write a play first and then perform. I always first improvise a play, then perform and then write a play…it helps to involve all the actors in issues of concern and always tries to make ‘most realistic’ plays which should be close to ‘life’.
CMK : Do you think it is necessary to undergo any training in theatre studies or performance techniques to be able to perform?
Dakxin : No, not at all. I believe that everyone is an actor. If you want to act in the existing theatre theories - I mean within the theatre grammar - then you have to go for training but if you just want to express yourself or present anyone else’s expression through performance (whether it is acting, writing or directing), no need of space and time, just perform, that performance will develop its own new theories of theatre. It will allow the free play of imagination of the performer. I mean to say that a performance should not have boundaries; there should be no limitation of space or rigidity of time. I believe that two kinds of theatre practices are going on in the world of theatre. The first one is the Theatre practice within the Theatre grammar and the second is the Theatre practice to break existing grammar of theatre. There should be no limit and boundaries for a performer.
BTS : So it is not what we call in formal terms ‘additive’ or acquiring skills; rather it is an expression of oneself. Well, G.N. Devy said that in the adivasi communities there is an inborn talent to perform. Is it because you have fewer inhibitions or is it a strong desire to be heard?
Dakxin : Yes. Tribal communities have an inborn talent to perform. It is for personal enjoyment…but in performances for public or audience we perform our society, its traditions, religion… It is rather a desire to be heard than for social joys.
BTS : Which kind of theatre do you think enables you to project your objectives?
Dakxin : What we usually call Street Theatre. Because it is very much close to the audience and we can get instant reaction from the audience. The inputs from the audience are stronger than any other theatre form. I think for the issues of social, political awareness, for mass mobilization, protest and bring about change Street Theatre is the best Theatre Form than any other form.
CMK : What do you think is the uniqueness of ‘Budhan Theatre’?
Dakxin : The commitment of a group of people for social change and development.
CMK : What is the role of music in your plays? Do you create your own music or use available music?
BTS : Is music ‘a cry of agony’ or a ‘proclamation of faith’?
Dakxin : In every street play we perform, atrocity and painful emotions form the central theme. Sometimes performer’s expression and voice can be music. By Dhol (drum) music we try to depict emotions. On Dhol we create our own music but for proscenium production we used recorded music.
‘Choli Ke Piche Kya Hai?’ is a first proscenium production of Budhan Theatre and it is the first production in which we used recorded music. But in previous productions which were all street plays, we used Dhol to produce music. Sometimes we produced music with whatever was available at the site of performance like steel glass, plastic or iron chair, iron box etc …It is fantastic. So familiar! So alive! Dhol , which is our traditional way of communication, always gives us energy to perform.
BTS : I heard you use the word ‘energy’ very often. What does it mean?
Dakxin : As most of our roles and plays are spontaneous we try to gather rhythm from music and response from the audience that inspires us to express ourselves.
CMK : Apart from performers do you have other artists in your group?
Dakxin : Oh yes…we have poets like Vivek, Tushar, Alok; many times we design our posters etc…but there are no trained painters or poets. They learn by themselves. During the street plays many times, with our shoes and slippers we etched circles to mark the performance area. People sit around it. The compositions are designed according to the position of the audience. Sometime we rehearsed in circle stage but at the performance place it is not possible to perform in a circle so at that time actors perform accordingly and for that our actors are always prepared. For Budhan Theatre, there are no limitations of space and time. We have 15 senior actors and 35-40 child actors.
CMK : What kind of regular practice do the members of the group do on a day to day basis?
Dakxin : Almost all the members are studying in colleges and schools except Kalpana and Chetna who are home makers. After college and school, members come to the Library, read books, talk about it and rehearse…most of the time they spend in the library and theatre activity. Usually, senior members also practice theatre in colleges and they also conduct workshops in schools and colleges. Theatre is the livelihood of group members.
CMK : Is theatre a part time or full time commitment for the members of the troupe?
Dakxin : During the academic session it is part time and during vacations it becomes a full time work, voluntarily.
CMK : What other career options do the members of the group have?
Dakxin : Some of them want to go into Theatre and Films for a career, some of them want to work in the legal system; and some of them want to simply take up jobs and theater gives them courage and confidence to talk.
BTS : Do you think there is a threat to adivasi art and culture due to influence of the modern urban society?
Dakxin : Yes. Influence and development of technology is a slow process of killing traditional art and culture of adivasis.
BTS : Do you find any parallels between the adivasi art and culture and the art and culture of the modern urban society?
Dakxin : Both are expressions. Urban art and culture should encourage adivasi art and culture without influencing it. Because Tribal art and culture have a potential to give new insights into the world to make it a ‘better’ place to live.
CMK : What kind of institutions / organizations, encourage / patronize or request for performance from your group?
Dakxin : Generally for street-play performances we request institutes or organizations to give us books for our library. Budhan Theatre also runs a library which was established by Dr. G N Devy and Smt. Mahasweta Dedi. We collected almost 800 books by performances and when there are more expenses in a play we expect the organizers to meet all these expenses. Earlier there were no funds in Budhan Theatre but now we have enough support to meet expenses of our forthcoming productions for this year. We expect to meet all the production expenses from institutes and organizations. Just they write to us for the performance and have a dialogue about DNTs. People can write and talk about inhuman treatment to DNTs and raise a ‘Voice’ for their rights.
CMK : What is the response to your theatre group from the other cultural forums?
Dakxin : In Ahmedabad, there is a ‘College Youth Theatre Group’ called Fed-In Theatre, headed by Prof. Saumya Joshi. Alok always says that ‘Budhan Theatre teaches me to stand properly and Fed-In teaches me how to walk’. I should say that it is the only cultural group in Gujarat which adopted many of our actors; and practice mainstream theatre (on social and political issues), mostly in proscenium theatre. Alok received the ‘Best Actor Award’ three times at the State level competitions; Jitendra also received the “Best Actor Award’ in the same state level competition called INT-Inter college competition. Prof. Saumya trained these Chhara actors in a very professional manner so it can become a livelihood for them. College theatre practice helps these Chhara students to study with dignity and popularize Chhara actors in Gujarati theatre field.
BTS : Who are the writers who influenced you most?
Dakxin : Gandhi, Mahasveta Devi, Zaverchand Meghani, Paash and Dhumil.
BTS : How would you define entertainment?
Dakxin : A performance which does not disturb you but delights is entertainment.
BTS : Did you ever perform for entertainment?
Dakxin : No.
BTS : Talking about your performance at Nizam College during the seminar on ‘Relocating Indian Theatre / Drama in English and in Translation’ some audience felt that the emotion created was one of ‘Bhibatsa’ or ‘repulsion’. What is your reaction to this statement?
Dakxin : Yes. It is precisely so, because it is real life of the characters.
BTS : So this justifies ‘truth is stranger than fiction’ and if you could create the right emotion that you wished to, we can say that the performance was a success.
Dakxin : Absolutely.
BTS : Why did you choose a short story - rather stories - instead of a play?
Dakxin : On 6th Dec. Mahasveta Devi visited Chharanagar Library and we decided to make Budhan Theatre a ‘National Theatre’; not limit it to Charranagar, especially the idea behind dramatization of the story, ‘Breast Givers’ is the idea of dramatization of ‘story telling’…Alok says that, rather than reading Mahasweta Devi’s story, we should perform her writing.
BTS : Does choosing a story or a narrative give you more freedom to experiment with the techniques of performance rather than choosing a play?
Dakxin : Yes. Alok says that if you make a play from a story or stories and create your own script, you can interpret your thoughts, and especially you can choose a language in which you want to perform.
BTS : How did you arrive at the technique of two people playing a single role?
Dakxin : Alok experimented with this mirror image which was a challenge for the Actors. It’s a mirror exercise and director tried to develop Jashoda’s character in a more prominent sense. In the entire play Jashoda does not move from her place which is an ‘Empty Space Theory’ propounded by Mr. Peter Brook.
My understanding is: It is two layers of Jashoda, Internal and External. A single character is performed by two actors; this also saves time and distributes stage business. Also this character depicts the two lives of Jashoda - a life in her house and a life at the landlord’s house…
BTS : Can you elucidate your use of Goddesses along with the actors?
Dakxin : Goddess in this play has a different identity. Director wants to say that generally people respect goddesses but don’t respect ‘Mother India’.
BTS : What is the role of actors? Why are there pictures of actors along with the pictures of the goddess?
Dakxin : To show and generate in the audience contradictory thoughts. People offer prayers and take actors as role models and no one thinks of ‘Mother India’ . The goddess is called a mother but the mother in real life is ignored . The women as heroines are known by people but the heroines in real life are not known by the people.
BTS : Life has become so unreal! Like the pictures of goddess on the wall and the actors on the screen.
Dakxin : Absolutely, yes.
BTS : Religion differs from person to person within same community and also from community to community within a given geographical set up. What kind of religion is adivasi religion? What is the role of the figures of gods and goddess?
Dakxin : For us, Nature is God. We pray to Jal, Vayu, Dharti, Agni and Aakash.
BTS : Yes this is the kind of gods and goddess we find in the Vedic tradition, even the gayatri addresses the sun god, not any idol. It is simply something that could be sung. Over a period of time the Nirguna has become the Saguna . We have actually forgotten the guna’s of Nature. Are there any such specific figures of gods or goddesses in the adivasi community?
Dakxin : I can say about my community and such nomadic communities; that traditionally our forefathers used to pray to stones after purifying them and treating them as Gods and Goddesses. There are no specific idols of our traditional Gods and Goddesses. In Rajasthan we have stones called ‘Paliyas’ and we treat them as our Gods. Even today our old people swear by ‘Stone Gods’. As our forefathers led nomadic life and they had to move from village to village they prayed to Nature.
BTS : In this play that you called ‘ choli ke peeche kya hai ?’ you used two levels. I could further go and say that you used three levels, one for the priest the highest; one for the land lady, the mistress of the big house, who never sits down; and the third is the ground reality where Kangalicharan and Yashoda are always seen either sitting or lying down. Was this a conscious attempt to show the levels in society?
Dakxin : Absoulety Yes. It is a social cupboard.
BTS : Moving from the street performances to the stage (proscenium) performances does the concept of ‘space’ change?
Dakxin : No. It was just Alok’s idea who directed this play. We still perform Street plays in Budhan Theatre Style; if you insist on a term this may be called third theatre or free theatre.
BTS : In spite of using the stage you have not used much of facial make up; is it because it was day light performance or a combination of the two modes of performances?
Dakxin : We believe in realistic performance. Make-up gives artificiality. It is not a question of lights but a character should look realistic and the audience should feel that real life is going on in front of them. Alok says that our theatre is the Theatre of ‘PASINA’ (sweat)…Life should be seen on its face.
BTS : How different, or how alike, is the status of a woman in an adivasi set up, as against the urban set up?
Dakxin : We respect woman a lot. No dowry tradition. Men have to pay to the girl’s father. It is token money decided by community council.
BTS : Does a woman have rights, freedom to express and courage to take decisions? Because men pay money to the girl’s father is she treated as a possession?
Dakxin : No. she is not treated as a possession; it is just a social tradition. A woman is also a decision maker as a man. In fact I can say that our community is not PURUSH PRADHAN but it is STRI PRADHAN. Our women are stronger than men. Especially when police come to catch our men, men run away and our women face the police. They are so strong. In local community council we have a position for women. Women used to brew illicit liquor and men used to go to sell. Sometime both used to do both activities collectively. But only men used to go for thieving, to pay the girls father; it is a way of showing respect to the girl’s father.
BTS : If I am not being too personal, what does God or Goddess mean to you? And what does religion mean to you?
Dakxin : For me, nature is God or Goddess. For me Nationality is a religion.
BTS : Do you practice any religious rituals? What kind of dramatic element do you find in these rituals?
Dakxin : Chhara Community has different kind of rituals and the most dramatic element is voice variations and body expression.
BTS : Can you name some of the rituals that are unique to your community, some of the common ones are the lighting of incense, lighting the lamps reciting mantras…etc.
Dakxin : When I talk about ritual of ‘voice variation’ and ‘body expression’, it happens when some men and women in our community seem to experience the presence of Gods and Goddesses in them and they start to act in a manner possessed. In our dialect we call this ritual ‘Dhunana’; in this ritual voice variation and body expression is unique. It requires energy to perform this ritual. Sometimes people perform ‘Dhunana’ when they say that a ghost or a witch enters their body.
BTS : Can we say that there are rituals/ conventions / practices in our day to day life that are dramatic; and how often have you incorporated these into your performances?
Dakxin : Yes. I strongly believe that from ‘birth to death’ we perform; even after death the ‘dead body’ becomes a character for others. Every one is a performer. Every one performs every single moment. We observe and implement it in our performances. The plays which I have made and performed are events of our life. Theatre practice develops within us an observation power and we implement our observation into our performance…Like dealing with police, with mainstream people, the social life, rituals, traditions etc.
BTS : How far away do you think you are from the mainstream? Do you see yourself in the mainstream in the near future?
Dakxin : How do you define mainstream?…If the mainstream society is ‘Urban Life’ or so-called higher society where there is class division, then I never want that. I or my people should be considered mainstream. I believe that I should consider my society - whatever it may be - the mainstream society. The culture where all people are equal, living peaceful life and where all people are living with dignity should be the mainstream and this can be seen in tribal life. …
BTS : How do you connect the personal experiences with academics?
Dakxin : I think, the best way to teach a play is to perform it rather then spend time to teach theories. Like when I used to teach ‘Invisible Theatre’ to students at P D Malaviya College in Rajkot City, I did not discuss with them in detail its theories but I practically made them practice this ‘theatre form’ in public. When the students performed they were very excited and they felt that it was an unusual experience. When I am among the academic circle, usually I prefer to have our group performance; if not, I discuss and try to make the students or academics to perform. If I don’t succeed to convince them, then I perform. The process is that there should be something that comes out of people; spontaneously. And it comes to me naturally.
Academics can write and teach Budhan Theatre to people. It is a Theatre which is practicing in very ‘uncommon atmosphere’; with a strong social commitment. Theatre can change the identity of stigmatized society. Yes. Theatre has that potential.
It is not only for entertainment. I believe that theatre should be practiced in every school, college, Gali and Mohalla to save our democratic values, democratic expression and for social change. I strongly believe that ‘Street Theatre Form’ has that potential, which can be practiced without spending a ‘Paisa’, and can be practiced by ‘AAM AADMI’. It can educate him and also educate other ‘AAM AADMI’ and can contribute to the country and protect democratic values.
BTS : Thank you Dakxin, for your patience and we appreciate your commitment.
Dakxin : I appreciate the interest you showed in our theatre. Thank you for the space you gave us to perform.
