Indian theatre artist Shilpi Marwaha has revolution in her blood and it is her mission to disperse every drop of it through theatre. On the occasion of Republic Day, Marwaha’s Sukhmanch Theatre will be staging Gagan Damama Bajyo—a Piyush Mishra classic—at Lok Kala Manch, Lodhi Road, today at 6:30pm. A conversation with Marwaha reveals her indomitable spirit and love for theatre. Edited excerpts from an interview:
Talk to us about re-constructing Piyush Mishra’s play, Gagan Damama Bajyo. What nudged you to bring it to stage?
Somewhere in 2017, we [Sukmanch Theatre] were invited to perform a play on the birth anniversary of [Indian freedom fighter and revolutionary leader] Bhagat Singh. I really liked that play because of the vehemence that I saw. Bhagat Singh always fought with logic, but he was very disturbed. He once said ‘Taakat khoon se nahi aati janab, kahi aur se aati hai’ [Strength does not come from blood, it comes from somewhere else]…’, which reflects that mishappenings in his surroundings had heavily impacted him.
I started theatre because I felt disturbed by all that was wrong around me. I wanted to communicate it creatively and improve the situation, which is why I found it [Gagan Damama Bajyo] relatable. We have adapted and edited it a little, and luckily Piyush Mishra sir liked it a lot. The direction of the play is very direct. There aren’t many sets that you can see as it was a time of dearth. The play heavily depends on the actors; that is something that I’ve tried to maintain.
What can the audience expect from this play?
Motivation. I think they will be very happy to know about the lives of the people who fought for what and where we are today. The audience will be motivated towards all that is going on in their lives. People laid down their lives for our nation; we can fight a little too.
Give us an insight into your creative process in theatre.
It starts with reading the play—we try to understand how it is relevant in today’s era. I am not adamant about it but yes, I feel I better understand plays that give a message to the audience. We do a lot of reading, which then leads to research. We start with a classroom production followed by designing and directing it, after which we go in a public direction. When someone asks us to do a play on a specific topic, we are usually already working on it. After the research and development part of the play, we receive notes, ask questions, and then get into scripting, which is a combined process. A number of case studies, songs, and actor suggestions are part of the process, which can be subject to variation.
Could you share your thoughts on the Indian street theatre space currently?
My favourite part about street theatre is that we can reach out to people who cannot come to theatres and watch a play. We have to reach out to the audience; it is not necessary that the audience comes to us every time. There is a part of our audience that cannot afford [theatre] tickets. You need to bring the natak to them, you’ll have to take it to the streets. A lot has changed in COVID, including the socio-political scenario. People are caught up in their own daily struggles. Unlike earlier, issues are now being actively acknowledged. We have moved to street theatre that allows us to even discuss solutions to these problems.
What is one thing you tell yourself before taking the stage?
When I get on stage, I know what I am going to do is right. I try to tell myself that if I am doing and saying the right things, then there is no need to be scared.