Manipuri stage director and playwright Thanin Leima was in the city recently with her much acclaimed play Rickshaw And Gun that was staged at the University of Mumbai as part of the 8th Women Playwright’s Conference.
And according to Leima (who with her earlier play I Am Not Mad caused quite a stir among the political circles in the state), theatre in Manipur is slowly changing, from traditional to realistic. Her earlier play was based on the infamous Manorana incident that occoured in 2004 when paramilitarians allegedly raped and killed a young woman.
Leima who also happens to be a 2001 NSD graduate, the first Manipuri to pass out of the institute, admits that in Manipur, theatre culture is very strong. She says, “Traditional theatre is making way for something more contemporary. Traditionally theatre here has been melodramatic and stylized with a lot of visual elements with its root in old Manipuri heritage.”
Leima recounts her own experiences in her effort to move away from traditional theatre, “Most theatre directors in the North East borrow their text from mythological stories and the Indian epics. Instead, I wanted to focus on the burning social issues the area is grappling with.” That’s how I Am Not Mad happened. Leima points out, “An entire community of women marched naked in the city. I realised it was our onus to give form to the grief in every Manipuri’s heart.”
Her latest play Rickshaw And Gun focuses on a disturbing trend in the state — the struggle for the common man to survive. The playwright points out, “It has become an everyday affair for us that the army shoots innocent civilians. We are also at risk from the Underground gunmen. Despite silent protests, nothing really is happening.”
In her latest play, Leima also throws light on some traditional practices. The playwright points out, “Rising employment is a grave concern now. But no one in Manipur will ever beg to survive. It is a strange practice, but people stick by their principles.”
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