If anything has changed in the last 25 years for theatre director, Arvind Gaur, it’s this indefatigability to script the most tempestuous social and political realities without trepidation. On the silver jubilee of his group Asmita Theatre, the man takes a bow with a two-month Summer Theater Festival, that started on May 20. The plays that are a part of this milestone, are an honest reflection of his credo that go beyond just theatrics.
There will be 17 plays that include Operation Three Star, based on corruption in the police department; Ambedkar Aur Gandhi, a political dialogue on the concerns of our feudal society; Unsuni, that tells the plight of street urchins, deprived tribals and outraged scavengers and lepers; Ek Mamooli Aadmi, about the yearning for real happiness by the urban middle class; Ye Aadmi Ye Choohe, that’s grounded in the life of two migrant field workers; Hanoosh, based on a folk legend from Czechoslovakia, and others.
“For me, it’s all about dialogue. My plays start a conversation; they make you think and they make you act,” he says. “We’ve raised important questions about women issues, cast and creed politics, corruption... and all the other things that matter to the modern India.”
Theatre has changed his thinking exponentially. It has brought his arrogance into check, and he has became aware of his feudal temperament. He’s a better person now, affirms Gaur. “Theatre works on the most basic unit of society—the individual. Only after he corrects his approach, can one talk about changing the world,” Gaur believes. Here’s to 25 more years.
At: Bookmyshow.com