LIFESTYLE
17 years ago, a determined Mallika Sarabhai, along with three others, decided they had to do something to change the theatre scene in Ahmedabad.
17 years ago, a determined Mallika Sarabhai, along with three others, decided they had to do something to change the theatre scene in Ahmedabad. There were hardly any performances coming to town - daunted mainly by the lack of appropriate infrastructure. That is how Natarani, her labour of love, was born - and the rest, of course, is history.
Today, as Natarani celebrates 17 years of existence with numerous cultural treats lined up over the next two months, Sarabhai has a lot to feel happy and proud about. "I can safely say that before Natarani was born, performers of national and international repute had serious apprehensions about coming to Ahmedabad. Today, we have around 80 major performances every single year, and artists from more than 60 countries have visited the city for performances. It has been an immensely fulfilling journey," she states.
Besides the slew of events that Natarani has in store, Sarabhai is terribly kicked about 'Kranti', a street play that she plans to stage in the run-up to the upcoming corporation elections.
"We are, with the help of this play, trying to tell people that they need to ask themselves who their corporators are, and whether they have performed their duties or not," she says.
Sarabhai feels it would be a good idea to have a board outside every corporator's house, which mentions the amount allotted to them as budget, and elaborates on how the money has been used for the ward.
"We want to remind the masses that ultimately, no matter which party comes to power, the condition of the common man remains more or less the same. And that is why, people need to vote for individual merit, for candidates they know will be dedicated enough to work for the masses," she explains.
Coming back to Natarani - what does she feel is the theatre's USP? "Facilities for artists, in several theatres in the country, are in a pathetic state. Often, the performer is unable to communicate with the technicians, resulting in chaos. The four of us who conceived Natarani, were aware of all these shortcomings. And that is why, when we pooled in our 120 years of experience, we made a list of all those amenities we deemed absolutely essential," she states.
Architect Kirti Shah then worked at creating, what Sarabhai hoped, would be a 'dream stage' for any performer, from any part of the world. One important feature here is their phone system. The artist just needs to call the technicians working backstage with their requirements, and they are taken care of.
"Try hiring any of those regular 'halls' in Ahmedabad, and you will realise that it proves expensive, especially for amateur artists. At Natarani, we often have small groups of actors or pop artists who come down to perform, and rehearse here for days on end. We've been able to propel a resurgence of artistic activity in the city," she says.
Compare Natarani members of today with those of previous times, and you will see a noticeably younger lot. Membership comes at Rs3,000 per year, and several of the performances allow entry only to members.
"The seating capacity at Natarani is of 500 people. And hence, if I'm inviting an artist over, I would ideally like him or her to put forth at least three performances," Sarabhai states.
However, Natarani also offers student membership - at Rs800 per year. "We also send members a monthly newsletter, so that they are in the know of what we have up our sleeves," she informs.
All set to hit the streets with her Kranti on September 30, Sarabhai is clearly on a roll, the way she has always been. But with the milestones Darpana and Natarani have achieved along the way, this doesn't seem like just one woman's journey. And that, perhaps, is her biggest achievement.
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