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    11 views14 pages

    Intro-Badal Sircar

    Uploaded by

    Abhinav Kumar Singh

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    of 14
    4 Octaber 2009 PREFACE i octunate to be hi ristder myself fortumate te i studs seep goes wel beyond the SUBBENDU Saran, Kolkata Introduction Initially the literary output backed by the Communi: ji (CPI), formed in, 1925, had been scanty. The Sumer difficulties in organizing the Party in the face of imperialist ey asmany were put behind bars in connection with various'Conspiracy’ cases. However, things began to change after the adoption ofthe Popular Front doctrine in 1935. The immediate result was the formation of the Progressive Writers’ Association (1936) following the world’ rs held in Paris that led to the establishment ofthe International Association of Writers for the Defence of Cltuze against. Fascism in 1935, Starting with fiction, progressive ideas gradually began roads irito the works of Indian dramatists. The All India Pederation (AISP, 1936) and the Youth ‘Cultural Institute layed a crucial role in the formative yéars of Indian politcal theatre. Students performed plays in and around Calcutta (now | * Kolkata), both indoors and under the open sky, dealing with diverse issues rangirig from the Japanese invasion of Chins tothe demand for the releisé of imprisoned communists in India . . ‘The real platform for Leftist theatre was, however, built when the ”, Indian Péople’s Theatie Assotiation (IPTA) was founded in 1943.‘The: IPTAs purpose was'clear-cut from the béginning: to portiay through. the medium of the stage and other traditional arts details of external aii si sits i ion bya colonial governmey yen USSR and China, the PTA hey enjoy the most. ofproscer ni theatre in Bengah the IPTA helped to popularize open. is. While some plays originally meant for the proscenium: insported to the open-air stage, others were agitational reet-corner plays usuelly performed by four or five actors. Hi in both cases.a realistic story was enacted on the stage wit props, costume, and lighting, The street-corner play became a useful ‘weapon in the hands of the corm not only when the CPT was banned for the second time (1948-51) in West Bengal butalso during the elections since 1952, Utpal Dutt who came close to the IPTA for a brief period in 1950-1 has lefta personal account of his experience of acting in Chargesheet (written by Umanath Bhattacharya), the ‘first Street-corner play in Bengal.? Later Dutt himself became one of the ‘most popular exponents of this genre scripting plays like Special Tr. (1962), Din Badaler Pala (‘Song of Changing Times, 1967), Mayna ; Tadanta (‘Post Mortem; 1968), and Kalo Haat (‘Black Hands, 1980), Another important playwright ofthis form was Panu Pal whose Bhéter Bhet (‘Election Offerings; 1952) happened to be the first election pposter-play in Bengali, Covering various burning national and local issues these short plays, mostly improvised, often added to the impact created by a political meeting, the golden period of the IPTA was soon over, Persons instrumental in taking the organ to an altogether "ew Tee! went on to form ther own groups during the ban years, “These groups concentra ‘Theatre movement Bengali family, Badal itcartookhis degree ing in 1947. Whilea student of the Bengal Engineering il id hiraself drawn towaids Leftist politics, His political sctivities commenced in the district of Howrah when he started ‘working forthe AISE Sircdr even vent, without informing the cllege authorities, to Chittagong (now in Bangladesh) to attend the Provincial | Conference of the AISE. Later he became involved inthe trade ni movement which made him. aware of the working-class condition: However his disappointment with the Party policy followed soon aft, when, particilarly during the ban years, certain rash decisions (for example, thecal for nationvvide railway strike on 9 March 1949) were taken without proper homework. As 2 tesult of questioning the leadership, Srcar was suspended by the CPI. Disilisioned,he gradually. , But why did Badal Sitcar take to writing play at alt While working asan engineerin Maithon,a distant town from Caleutt he eitblished, 1955 Je Tom Die ar 198) (The Fairy Tale of Ballablpur’ 1963), 2 Poet, 1964). But it was with ndrajt (Evan town planning. After staying headed towards Nigeria in 1964. It was while working there that he ‘wrote quite few major proscenium plays of his eatly career: Baki Iihas (That Other Fitory, 1965), Tringsha Satabdi (‘The Third Millennium, 1966), and Pagla Ghora (‘The Crazy Horse’ 1967). Sircar came back to.Caleutta in 1967 when the Biafran war (1967-70) was about to start and worked fora futher ten years before devoting his time fully to theatre. In these ten years he went abroad on two occasions: fist, (0n a tour of East European countries in 1969 on a cultural exchange programme (during this trip he was, for the first time, exposed to Jerzy Grotowski’s productions in Poland) and second, to the USA in 1972 witha Jawaharlal Neha Research Fellowship, This time he met 2 few Avant Garde practitioners like Richard Schechner and Julian Beck: who were to influence him to a certain extent, Sircar knew that it was not human beings but society that needed ‘phew first. Buthe had no specific idea about the way in which Tae peut esate ecient carried on since he had already Seetneo ll Le. In fat, fom 1963 to 1970, the five Hist mt at he wrote—Evan Indrajt Baki Itihas,Tringsha i ircus, 1969), and Sesh Nei (There is No End, 1970)— etopUCTON exhibit Sitcars refs toa forthe right path to follow. chat cleo oneere nna, sien ce een gains senseless obedien : ‘become exhused ind somewhat facade sea ae however, he emerges as an undaun ‘anideological solution tothe probleis, than the destination, But you have nothing. No promotion, no thought of 1g house, no scheme for busines, How can you be ANDRAIT: Then how shall we live? PLAYWRIGHT: The road, We have only the road. Well walk. 've nothing tovrteyet'l write You've nothing to say yt ull sy. Manas hhas nothing to lve for, yet she iv, We've the road wel walk, ‘One critic has linked Evam Indrajt to Samuel Becket’ (1906-1989) Waiting for Godot But this view s beside the point for wait Beckett ‘ends his play at waiting, Sitar determines to continue searching, Stioughan Ens anion of Ea Indies have peed ing translation. 4 see Rustom Bharucha, Rehearsals of Revolsiw. The (Caan: Segal 1968). 138. acl Theater of Benge, sen oy problams and continue an egotsc existence but the jst remain, tiltheend, undecided about the course of action ee dapat surhstr tbe gtd Koma of Sarkas te) did not come overnight, The thinking started abroad in 1958 when J rst saw theatre-inthe-round, Thea

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