BHUBANESWAR: Once a thriving industry in the state, Jatra (opera) is all set to become history with the Odisha Jatra Troupe Owners’ Association announcing to shut down the shows from next season that begins from August.
Citing burgeoning operational costs and unnecessary restrictions imposed by the administration, Association’s president Soumya Ranjan Patnaik said 23 major opera troupes in the state are going to close their business from this year onwards.
“We have decided to go for shutting down of Jatra shows from next season due to increasing operational costs, growing loss and restrictions imposed by administrations during performances by various troupes. We informed it early because people dependant on the industry can take measures to overcome the crisis,” he told reporters here on Wednesday.
Patnaik had once owned seven opera parties, but he had to shut three of them a couple of years ago due to heavy loss.
“The announcement may send shock waves among the artistes fraternity, but we had no way out to overcome the losses. There is no government patronage for the industry and even bankers hardly come forward for financing a troupe,” he pointed out.
The decision of the Jatra owners came a day after the state government launched the Mukhya Mantri Kalakar Sahayata Yojana for the welfare of artistes in Odisha. Besides enhancing the monthly pension for the artistes to Rs 1, 200, the government also relaxed the age limits of male artistes from 60 to 50 years and female artistes from 50 to 40 years.
Owner of Baghajatin Lokanatya Rabi Ray said it is difficult to run an opera troupe as the earning has come down drastically and most of the A-class troupes are incurring a loss of around Rs 50 lakh every year.
“Earlier, it was manageable as jatra shows are being staged on an average 300 days a year if one month of breaks and another month of rehearsals are excluded. But now it is difficult to even organise shows for 200 days a year due to certain restrictions imposed by districts administrations citing examinations, elections and other reasons,” he said.
Agriculture minister and owner of Kalinga Gananatya, a well-known Jatra Troupe, Pradeep Maharathy supported the decision and said he would inform the decision of the Association to culture minister Ashok Panda.
“We are ready to discuss the matter with the government if there is a favourable response. We may continue from 2019 if the government provides of supports and relax the restrictions,” added Maharathy, who is also the secretary of the association.
The move, which is seen as a strategy to persuade the state government to assist the Jatra troupes, is expected to affect over 5,000 artistes and 10,000 support staff besides thousands of others who are indirectly dependent on the industry.