BANSI KAUl (1949-2021) DOYEN OF INDIAN THEATRE
to awaken
the life in those people,
to break up
the crusted
deposit
of lies,
that weighed
on their lives.” ( Bulgarian poet Nikola Vaptsarov )
“For the
stage artist, Proscenium Barrier (in theatre the arch separating the stage
from the auditorium, through which the action of a play is
viewed) must be broken in the mind first, rather than the body. The idea
of breaking down one’s mental fourth wall is what draws the audience into the performance. As a result, a bond is formed between the
performers and the audience. Using movements and gestures, the actors must be
able to cut through the space of the performance to create the space of the
theatre.”
He excelled in the field of direction, music,
though designing remained his first love. A brilliant
stage designer and a theatre director known for evolving a new idiom of clown
theatre, Bansi Kaul took the road less travelled. Unlike the other theatres giants
who rose and shone in Delhi, Kaul called Bhopal his Karam-bhoomi. Modernity to him meant
reinventing.
He did not believe in picking up a form and 'imposing it on urban theatre.'When a modern man creates
something, he said, he goes back to his past with consciousness. You see much
more in your childhood now than you had seen in it earlier. You can so redefine
a 'traditional' form, it is reborn to you.
What he did at Rang Vidushak was to go back to non-theatre forms and
give them recognition.
Kaul directed and produced over
100 plays through his career, with some of his notable plays included Aala Afsar based on Nikolai
Gogol's satirical
play The Government Inspector, Kahan
Kabir based on the collected works of poet-saint Kabir, and Sidhi Dar Sidhi urf Tukke pe Tukka an adaptation of Chinese
folktale "Three promotions in succession". Most of his plays were based on the Nautanki style of street theatre. Other notable
works included Mrichakatikam,
Raja Agnivarna ka Pair, Agnileek, Veini Samhaar, Dashkumar Charitham, Sharvilk,
Pancharathram, Andha Yug, Khel Guru Ka, Jo Ram Rachi Raakha, Aranyadhipathi
Tantyamaama, Zindagi aur Zyonk, Vatan ka Raag, and Saudagar.He would always
say:-
“Theatre should entertain, it should not confine itself to smaller issues. It must have the capacity to confront human agonies. Do not try to get from theatre what you want to achieve from a poster. Theater is not slogan mongering. It must analyze society. It should leave a visual impact.”
A Padma Shri (2014) and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee (1995), Kaul was the designer and show director for the Commonwealth Games’ opening ceremony (2010) and art director for Khajuraho Festival (1986 and 1987). He was also the recipient of the 2016 Rashtriya Kalidas Samman for Kahan Kabir. He received the 1994 Shikhar Samman from the Government of Madhya Pradesh, and the 1995 Safdar Hashmi Award from the Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi. His contribution to Indian theatre can be summed up under various broader segments as under: -
DEVELOPMENT OF COMEDY THEATRE
“Laughter celebrates the miniscule cosmic interval between birth and
death. In laughter I see celebration and protest at once. It becomes force to
cut through every form of negativity. Therefore, laughter must be celebrated!
“…. Bansi Kaul
For many years, Bansi Kaul single-mindedly
worked for the establishment of a resource centre for comedy theatre. He had
been striving hard to start a “Repertory
of Clowns” as he always felt that performances of such satirical humour
will cure lots of ills in the society. He strongly believed that through Naqqal.
Amli, Bhaand and Narrative singing, India has a strong tradition of comedy;
however, these were not developed and fell prey to feudal obscenity. He would always explain the importance of laughter in
the formation of his group 'Rang Vidushak' in Bhopal. Followed by a combination
of his workshops and major plays like - Kahan Kabir, Wo jo aksar jhapad khata
hai, Neeti Manikaran ki, Hasyarasayan, Gadho ka Mela, Ritu Gurjari, Darji
ki Anokhee Biwi, Saudagar, Sidhi Dar Sidhi urf Tukke par Tukka, Deputy Collector,
Zindagi aur Jonk, equally important is his works with children, police, prisoners.
Through his works, he explored the politics of laughter and studied
riddles and myths across Indian traditional folk tales, including clowns,
or Vidushak, into the central figure of his works.
A MASTER OF STAGECRAFT
He
was a master in any segment of stagecraft; be it
scenic design, stage
machinery, lighting,
sound, costume design or makeup. He introduced fresh cocepts in stagecraft. He was
conscious of the fact that theatre in India has benefited from a dominant religion
(Hinduism) that encouraged it through staging of Ramayana, Mahabharata and even
ritual performances. He was a master in planning the internal architecture of a
theatre, auditorium , audience space and the the stage
consisting of performing area and backstage. He also did innovations for open
stage performances . He made innovations in the use of music to carry forward
the story and assist performers. Techniques of Chinese, Japanese, Turkish, Russian, Singaporean and many other countries
were introduced and amalgamated into stagecraft by him. This author was told
that one could discuss anything about stagecraft as enumerated in Bharat Muni’s
Natya Shastra with Bansi Kaul. His
stage-set-design would produce maximum impact within minimum means. Through the
beautiful inclusion and blending of Indian architecture and painting in his
work, he created a new idiom for the stagecraft.
Building on his training in
stagecraft, he worked as the art director for the 1986 and 1987 Khajuraho Festival
and also for the Festival
of India in
China, Switzerland, and the USSR. He was one of the lead designers and an
associate show director for the 2010
Commonwealth Games opening ceremony. Speaking about his mandate, he would say that the
requirement was to bring Indian culture and themes to the event, without
letting Bollywood come across as the "only cultural identity of
the country.Theatre personality Neelam Mansingh Chowdhry says this about
the magical stagecraft of Bansi Kaul:-
“I worked with him during my days in Bhopal.
Once I was doing a folk tale and somehow the stage setting was not to my
liking; I told him that it did not seem coherent and he said, Abhi baandh dete
hain. I thought he was kidding. But, lo and behold, he asked for a rope and
managed it all.”
, "As a designer, he (Kaul) treads two worlds – the designer of mega events with plenty of resources and the designer of the theatrical productions suffering from utter paucity of funds." And he excelled in both jobs.
Bharata's Natyashrasta carefully
laid out the conventions and characteristics of drama, as well as the concept
of Rasa, which explained how elements of a dramatic work played
together .and elicited a response in the audience. Rasa operated on the
principle that certain elements, character types, and plot conventions could
elicit certain predictable responses and interpretation. These interpretations
could be experienced by the audience and explained. Bharata likened the
dramatist to a chef, where a knowledge of the ingredients and flavor patterns
could be inferred and understood by both the creator and the person eating the
food. Sanskrit playwrights, by manipulating these elements, could achieve their
desired effects.
Tragedy is forbidden in Sanskrit drama.
Except a very few plays, almost three hundred or so plays have ended on a happy
note with conflicts being resolved. Even a play like Bhasa’s Urubhangam which
concludes with sad demise of the protagonist, does not advocate any cynical
worldview as is seen often in Greek tragedy. Sanskrit drama regards existence
as orderly and predictable. Conflicts in the plays occur only when the order of
life is disrupted by individuals and finally such attempts are redirected
in order to assure that the characters take their ordained places and peace is
restored. Inspite of its great and glorious tradition, Sanskrit theatre was put
on the back burner as Muslim rulers came into power in India . The Muslim rulers
were more in favour of dance and music and thus started the deterioration of
this classical form of Indian Theatre.
The list could be long but let us
focus on some major plays directed by Kaul.
His last production,’Paglaye Gusse Ka Dhuan’ (about the displacement communities go through under duress) in 2019 was for the Lucknow based Bhartendu Natya Akademi. The play was based on the works of Kashmiri poets and addressed the topic of the Exile of Kashmiri Pandits during years of militancy in the state.
HIS LAST LETTER TO FRIENDS AND WELLWISHERS
(1)“My best wishes and love to all of you… to all those performers from across the country who have the cultural events I designed the most amazing spectacles… and to every person I have met on this journey called life. I have not been able to thank all of you for good wishes on my birthday.I have been unwell and have been detected with cancer of the brain as well as the lungs. Yet I am sure I will pull through and that we will soon meet again. “
(2)
“We are in times
where displacements are the rule… displacements from physical spaces, nature,
and natural sounds, from cultures, from one’s own family and friends. Scenes of
daughters and sons carrying their aged parents across the country to a safer
place during the lockdown, and children falling asleep on suitcases being
rolled along are etched in my mind. All these painful experiences must be
stopped. This can happen only when there is a sense of general
well-being. Lal Ded says:-
“In the midst of
the sea, with unspun thread, I am towing the boat; would that God grant my
prayer and, ferry me too, across…” .
(Lal Vakh. No. 23)
We
all need to hold a single rope to tow the boat of goodness, peace, mental and
physical well-being, gratitude, kindness, and magnanimity across the sea of
life.
So,
dear friends… killing, hating, plundering, and cheating… all in the name of
belief and faith will bring nothing. All of us must love each other, which can
happen only if you get rid of hatred. The act of throwing a stone of hatred at
someone has its repercussions. It will rebound. The hurt ultimately comes to
oneself.
(3)
“And so, we must
make more and more friends to make the world a better place to live in. We need
to pave a strong, durable long-lasting path for the coming generations. Let’s
give them a better world. When we say we are 60% young India, let us not forget
that after twenty years or so there will be a 100% old India! We must start
thinking about this… and think fast. There must be a sense of collective
strength. Strength can only be in togetherness, and in togetherness there are
memories.”
of their flowers,
One of my seasons dies.
If they deprive them
of my beloved,
two of my seasons die.
If they deprive them
of their bread,
Three of my seasons die.
If they deprive them
of freedom,
my while year dies
and I with it.
(Avtar Mota)
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.
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