Breaking barriers on stage

Hindi theatre enjoys a pride of place in India, but there are hardly any festivals dedicated to it abroad. To fill this vaccum, Dastak, a three-day fest was started in Singapore two years ago. As part of the event, 10 short stories of 10-minute duration are presented to the audience. While in the first year, lyricist and actor Swanand Kirkire represented India and even mentored the actors by conducting workshops, in the second year, writer Gopal Dutt was present. This time, veteran actor Dinesh Thakur’s Ank (one of the flag-bearers of Hindi theatre in India) will perform at Dastak, which is being held from November 15-18.

ANK’S PLAY WITH A SOCIAL MESSAGE

The theatre company will present Ek Din Bank Mein — One Day At The Bank, based on one of the short stories penned by acclaimed Russian writer Anton Chekhov. The play, takes the #MeToo campaign beyond sexual harassment and gives out the message that any kind of exploitation has a repercussion on the system and one has to pay for it.

Preeta Mathur, who has adapted the story in contemporary India and will also act in it, says, “We thought it was pertinent that we stage it right now due to the current scenario. Any kind of movement whether it’s political, socio-political etc always has comic repercussions. This play is a light-hearted look at what can happen in the era of #MeToo movement where men have become wary of how their interactions with a woman at their workplace will be perceived.”

She adds that showcasing their work at Dastak gives her group the opportunity to reach out to the Indian diaspora. She states, “Contemporary Hindi theatre is not showcased so much around the world. But this festival has made an attempt to put Hindi on the global map.”

REACHING OUT TO A WIDER AUDIENCE

In line with Singapore’s multi-racial ethos, the fest aims to showcase the diverse talent in the city but not limit it to Hindi-speaking audiences. To achieve this objective, it gives a platform for non-Indian artists to participate in the event by acting as well as staging the plays. Moreover, all the shows have subtitles so that the non-Hindi speaking audience, too, can understand the proceedings.

Shalaka Ranadive, the festival director explains, “Singapore has a vibrant theatre scene, but there is poor visibility as far as Hindi plays are concerned. We realised there is a large talent pool that can be tapped. The audience wanted a festival where they could go watch plays, enjoy and have a lovely evening. The ten-minute productions with English subtitles have proven to be a hit with audiences and critics alike. Ank is one of the oldest Hindi theatre groups of India and the play, which they are staging, is timely and relevant. As the directors of the other skits are non-Indians, it’s a huge challenge for them to stage something in a language that they are not familiar with. Plans are afoot to take the event to Hong Kong and Malaysia and also organise a Hindi theatre festival exclusively for kids.”