RATAN THIYAM–AN
INTERVIEW PUBLISHED IN THE ECONOMIC TIMES,
NEW DELHI DATED 29-03-1994
SET TO STAGE A COUP AWAY FROM DELHI
In Delhi recently, the
multifaceted director talked to Shamsul Islam about Indian theatre’s folk roots
and the activities of his repertory company in Manipur.
RATAN THIYAM is a rarity in the
world of Indian theatre. Apart from being a redoubtable practitioner of
theatre, he is also a noted Manipuri dancer and vocalist, a reputed painter and
musician. Moreover, all these creative dimensions give his theatre productions
a distinct identity and vitality.
Thiyam joined the National School
of Dram to ‘learn’ theatre in 1971, when he was already a well established name
in Manipuri theatre back at home. In 1986 he took over as Director NSD, but
after a troubled tenure resigned from the post in 1988, for a journey back to
his Chorus Repertory in Manipur. He was in the Capital recently on the occasion
of the staging of “Thambalnu”, a Hindi play based on Meitei folklore. The play
was the outcome of a 40-day workshop conducted by Thiyam for 2nd
year students of NSD at Chorus Repertory Complex, Imphal.
The play, which was directed,
designed and given music by Thiyam, was highly appreciated. Excerpts from an
interview by Shamsul Islam:
You seem to have written off Delhi.
Why is it so?
Dilli bahut door hai. It is out of reach for people like me. It
requires guts to be in the Capital. Even though one can never forget one’s
sincere friends, I feel that I can attempt something creative by being in
Manipur. In places like Delhi,
the creative process comes under pressure from various quarters. You are forced
to play to the gallery; you tend to behave like a courtesan. In remote places
like Manipur, however, the problem is not so acute. Your urge for creativity is
not crippled over there.
What is exactly the crisis of the Indian theatre?
It all hinges on the way Indian
theatre is defined—as that which is modelled after European theatre and is
largely staged in big urban centres like Delhi. It is passed off as our
theatre. Moreover, there is a conscious attempt to demarcate folk, traditional
and modern theatre. This kind of comprehension leads us nowhere.
I believe minus this so-called
folk or traditional theatre, there would be no India theatre. Theatre is not a
mechanical entity, it evolves through the centuries, and it must have strong roots.
Indian theatre can be defined only in the context of our folk and traditional
theatre which the establishment treats as inferior and backward.
A genuine Indian theatre will
have hundreds of regional flavours and an amalgamation of as many traditions.
That will be not just Indian theatre, it will be good theatre too.
How is your Repertory Company, Chorus, developing in Imphal?
Let me clarify that Chorus is not
like any other repertory company, for, apart from theatre it is involved in
many other issues like environment and water conservation. It does not even
comprise professional actors as is the case in other repertories. Every actor
has to learn carpentry, tailoring, light design and stage design. Actors at Chorus
develop and craft their own properties which give them a strong sense of
belonging. The attempt is to develop artists with a holistic attitude towards
theater. We discourage specialization which ultimately harms the cause of
theatre.
These days, Chorus is busy
performing Imphal Karusi (Let us go to Imphal) under my direction. It is a
strong indictment of the system for there is a limit to tolerance. The play
opposes the socio-political, economic and religious degeneration of Manipuri
Society.
Apart from this we are also
involved in developing a children’s creative centre of Chorus at Imphal. In
Manipur every activity is adult-oriented; there is not even a small park for
children. This is dangerous, for children devoid of any outlet for their
imagination are bound to play havoc with society at a later stage. It is
already happening in Manipur.
One of the objectives of our
creative centre will be a doll’s museum. We also plan to have puppetry and
painting show. It will be a permanent set-up. I shall request my friends to
gift puppets, paintings and dolls for this centre.
How do you sustain Chorus?
We do not get even a penny from
the Manipur government. Even President’s Rule makes no difference. I have been
awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Padma Vibhushan but for the Manipur
government I am a nonentity. The Union Department of Culture advances a meager
fund for Chorus.
Sometimes, I feel it is good this
way. Acute shortage of funds and resources makes us more innovative. If we have
to run a professional repertory and that too without funds we are bound to be
more realistic and down to earth. It helps us to grow and avoid wastage.
Whatever we need we collect from our audiences. Chorus has proved one thing.
You can do serious theatre without the state’s patronage; it also gives more
freedom to artists. They don’t have to bend.
Has the continuing violence in Manipur affected your work?
When the fight for power goes
beyond limits, it is bound to wreak havoc. The people of Manipur are being
forced to carry a cross for the sins of other. But they have realized it is all
due to political bungling. Even after large-scale killings, our work has not
been affected for through our cultural work we have been able to identify with
the aspirations of the people. We are respected. The people think that this is
the kind of work through which Manipur can be saved from vultures.
