( This
article may have many generalizations as I tried to avoid a long one. Forgive
me for that but try to ponder about the crux)
As a Tripurite,
I extend my heartful good wishes to all the theatre artists, critics and the
theatre audience of the world on this International Theatre Day2020
Let me start with my childhood and early
youth. Living in a very little state, and being the victim of hegemonistic indifference
by the leaseholders of the Bengali theatre-makers of West Bengal
& Bangladesh the rootless
refugee Bengalees engaged in theatre-making could not draw their marks on the
theatre world of India. Though historically plays were being performed here for
the last hundred years or so. Communication with the other parts of the country
was tough and costly. Some resorted to going to Calcutta to watch plays and to
copy that on our stages. You may call it a colony treated by the leaseholders
of Bengali theatre. Newspapers of the state also were under the shadow of this
hangover.
Hardly our
predecessors looked into the formation of a brilliant, sparkling growth of a
mixed culture of the lovely state’s own. But thanks to time. During the last
few years of the decade of seventy, creative artists of Tripura started their
somewhat independent journey. Local forms started to be explored by artists
like Hiralal Sengupta and many others. Local scriptwriters telling the joys and
pains of the people were composing plays. But the indifference continued till
the communication developed with the rest of India save Bengal. I am not giving any importance here to the occasional
participation of Tripura’s plays at Lucknow (the champion team of office drama
competition, the judges also were used to be imported from Calcutta)
Thanks to
the tireless work of some of the theatre groups of the decade of late eighty
and early ninety, more and more plays had started to be performed at Bangladesh
and other parts of our own country. But perhaps it will not be a blunt
statement if I say that after the entry of Kanhaiyalal in the theatrical field
of Tripura situation started taking a different step. A disciple of him
Madhusudan Debbarma took the lead and soon the gate became open. The theatrical
language of our own was taking shape. With the entry of NSD, SNA this got
impetus. The massive development of communication has made it easier than ever
to showcase the creativity of our own theatre to the country. To me, it appears
that to various parts of the country the works of Tripura’s theatre artists are
being lauded simply because of the display of the culture of its own.
I appeal to
all theatre lovers of Tripura to
1. Create theatre that has an odour of
our land, the content may be universal, I confine myself to the form.
2. The newspapers should publish
regularly articles/criticisms of local theatres.
3. Be proud of our mixed demography and
its output of a mixed culture
4. Look more towards other parts of
India.
5. Appreciate, if appreciable the works
of all groups of the state.
6. create outstanding plays ( including Puppet )
P.S- This
writer has no intention of belittling the role of WB Theatrepeople he is only criticizing
the mindset of Tripurites. English has many forms, Britsh, American, Australian,
Indian etc. Similar analogy may be drawn in case of Bengali. As an artist, we
know Art has no boundary. My only appeal to all the theatre lovers of Tripura
to look beyond a limited space. I refrain in this article, myself, to name the living
outstanding theatre artists of Tripura. I strongly believe that WE SHALL
OVERCOME.
Partha Pratim Acharya. 27/3/2020
