Nagpur: Storytelling has been a part of every developed society ever since man first came to earth. And stage theater is one of the oldest performing arts that is still alive to this day and in the age of digitization. In India, among the various forms of theatre, which trace their roots to millennia-old traditions, there is a slowly growing space for ‘Buddhist Theatre’, also popularly known as ‘Buddhist Theatre’. goes.Bahujan Theater, Artist Virendra Ganveer was the organizer of the recently concluded Buddhist Theater Festival in Nagpur and the founder of bahujan amphitheater which tackles social issues with a strong Buddhist theme. Ganveer talks to TOI about how Buddhist theater is wrongly considered a trend, but it is actually ‘mainstream’
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> Why do you strongly claim that Buddhist/Bahujan theater is in fact mainstream and not a parallel running entity?
A. Absolutely, because all our theater comes from the ancient Nag culture. We all trace our origin there and gradually different currents took shape. We evolved into an art form that depicts Buddhist values and is also known as Bahujan Theatre. So, ultimately we are all part of the mainstream. But what is happening here is a clash between two ideologies, which have established themselves as ‘mainstream’ and do not want any other theater to occupy this space.
You call it Buddhist theatre, but the other name Bahujan theater also reflects its socio-cultural importance?
A. Theater has certainly played a major role in shaping our society. The sole purpose of the play is not to entertain, but to inspire the audience to introspect about the message being conveyed through plays. In the 1850s, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Started interacting with people and stage plays were an important part of that. Later, in the 1950s, Dr. babasaheb ambedkar Theater was also used to make people aware of the society and for their upliftment. Actually, when Dr. Ambedkar took Initiation In 1956 in Nagpur, a play was staged here. It was seen by over six lakh people at that time which was unprecedented. Even in today’s time, the same issues like caste and religion keep troubling our society. These are obstacles to making the world a better place. In today’s world, people are fighting against each other on the basis of these concepts and we have to go beyond this and think about humanity.
Q. And this is where the Buddhist part of the theater comes in.
A. Yes, the teachings of the Lord Buddha Let us carry a message for the entire humanity. Through theatre, we have to present it in a format that is understandable to the people. Art has to bring people together.
> How difficult is it to stage plays in the digital world?
A. First of all, there is no doubt in my mind that even today theater affects people. When an audience sits through a play, they are not only watching it but slowly become a part of it. That’s the beauty of live theater. It’s alive, it’s real and the audience is involved. Actors are all flesh and bone. So whenever you leave a drama, its effect stays with you for a long time. There is an audience for live theater even in today’s digital world. That is why around the world they are doing well commercially as well.
> Has it become harder to find actors, especially now that the youth may be more inclined towards the commercial arts – be it theater or films?
A. Those who engage with Buddhist theater are of a different mould. Here, I include the child next door, the young man who is currently not in any sphere of life and focuses his energy in creating something good. Nobody comes as an actor, they come only to be a part of a social cause. Manch is an expression of that spirit of doing something for humanity. I do not believe in commercial theater for my style of performing arts, and therefore, my Bahujan amphitheater is an inner calling. I’ve been doing this for 31 years and so many students have done well in a business setting. Some are in Marathi movies, serials etc. I am confident that in the years to come, Buddhist theater will get its due as part of the mainstream performing arts.
Part…
> Why do you strongly claim that Buddhist/Bahujan theater is in fact mainstream and not a parallel running entity?
A. Absolutely, because all our theater comes from the ancient Nag culture. We all trace our origin there and gradually different currents took shape. We evolved into an art form that depicts Buddhist values and is also known as Bahujan Theatre. So, ultimately we are all part of the mainstream. But what is happening here is a clash between two ideologies, which have established themselves as ‘mainstream’ and do not want any other theater to occupy this space.
You call it Buddhist theatre, but the other name Bahujan theater also reflects its socio-cultural importance?
A. Theater has certainly played a major role in shaping our society. The sole purpose of the play is not to entertain, but to inspire the audience to introspect about the message being conveyed through plays. In the 1850s, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Started interacting with people and stage plays were an important part of that. Later, in the 1950s, Dr. babasaheb ambedkar Theater was also used to make people aware of the society and for their upliftment. Actually, when Dr. Ambedkar took Initiation In 1956 in Nagpur, a play was staged here. It was seen by over six lakh people at that time which was unprecedented. Even in today’s time, the same issues like caste and religion keep troubling our society. These are obstacles to making the world a better place. In today’s world, people are fighting against each other on the basis of these concepts and we have to go beyond this and think about humanity.
Q. And this is where the Buddhist part of the theater comes in.
A. Yes, the teachings of the Lord Buddha Let us carry a message for the entire humanity. Through theatre, we have to present it in a format that is understandable to the people. Art has to bring people together.
> How difficult is it to stage plays in the digital world?
A. First of all, there is no doubt in my mind that even today theater affects people. When an audience sits through a play, they are not only watching it but slowly become a part of it. That’s the beauty of live theater. It’s alive, it’s real and the audience is involved. Actors are all flesh and bone. So whenever you leave a drama, its effect stays with you for a long time. There is an audience for live theater even in today’s digital world. That is why around the world they are doing well commercially as well.
> Has it become harder to find actors, especially now that the youth may be more inclined towards the commercial arts – be it theater or films?
A. Those who engage with Buddhist theater are of a different mould. Here, I include the child next door, the young man who is currently not in any sphere of life and focuses his energy in creating something good. Nobody comes as an actor, they come only to be a part of a social cause. Manch is an expression of that spirit of doing something for humanity. I do not believe in commercial theater for my style of performing arts, and therefore, my Bahujan amphitheater is an inner calling. I’ve been doing this for 31 years and so many students have done well in a business setting. Some are in Marathi movies, serials etc. I am confident that in the years to come, Buddhist theater will get its due as part of the mainstream performing arts.
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