Theatre of Relevance  BACK  

One should never discard the idea just because it came to his mind and thinking that who will approve an absurd idea. Manjul Bhardwaj is a man of vision. He never discarded his ideas and tried, at least once, to execute and see the response. And the outcome proved, time and again, that he was not wrong. The idea grew and matured into 'THE EXPERIMENTAL THEATRE FOUNDATION'. According to him it's just the beginning. But looking at the initial response, he doubt he will be able to carry on with its expansion unless like minded people come forward and carry the organization beyond his name. Manjul himself elucidates on what he thinks about Theatre of Relevance, the core aspect of the foundation, through which he explores new style and explodes the old redundant one, in dealing with theatre (his first love), education, training, awareness, research and many more aspects of development.

In his own words Theatre of Relevance is :


A theatre
1. That is relevant to the context of the society and owes its social responsibility, not to Art just for the Art sake.

2. Which caters to human needs and provide itself as a platform for expression.

3. Which explores itself as a medium of change/development.

4. That comes out from the ' limits of entertainment ' to a way of living.

5. Which enhances itself from 'Art for the Art sake' to social concern and, become part of lives of the masses.

“I see theatre as being relevant to the context of society and one that owes a social responsibility. It’s not just art for art sake but one that caters to human needs and provides itself as a platform for expression (statement).”

Although theatre of relevance is his mode of operation his understanding of theatre gives an insight to look at it from different angles and be amused to see how he looks at it. He speaks with glittering eyes….

The range of theatre and the areas it covers is so vast that I am amazed myself. People have restricted themselves to particular aspect of theatre i.e.street, operas, environmental and the like---But I am trying my best to take it away from where it is, to a new horizon. One can visualize such a vast range of world through it that again it becomes difficult to limit it to such faculties like acting, direction or the other rudiments of theatre. I was amazed to see the effect of theatre on myself and was equally disturbed to see how people have tried to limit it. It's like a river that can nourish and sustain a culture by its strength. I wanted to free the theatre from its non-functional existing status to the one where it could be more meaningful…to the society, where it belonged. I can well remember when I performed for the first time on stage. There was tremendous energy enthused within me. I was bound to think on the impact.

But was unable to convince myself with what people in general thought that theatre is just for entertainment. I was restless from within. Lurking and struggling to know what has hit me from outside that is making me restless from inside. Statements from theatre personalities were more disturbing. They kept on saying that theatre is only for entertainment but my disturbed Mind was not able to take it. I went on to find and satisfy my quest.

After reading and analyzing works on theatre, theories of theatre--Brecht's alienation theory, Peter Brook's Empty space, theatre of oppressed--I came to conclusion that initially theatre started as a Means to share the experience. Nomadic people use to go for hunting as their only means to get food. These people enacted themselves in front of other members of the group, to show how they succeeded in hunting down the animals. That was the means to show what had happened with them. Learning from other's experience was the by-product of actual experience. My thought got a firm support from the analysis that theatre is not only for entertainment.

I came back with a bang to show, the existing theatre and the people who are related to it, that theatre could be more meaningful. But to my utter disbelieve, not only did they discard my thought; they even said that I have a wrong notion of it. And it will be better for me to understand theatre and not to waste my time. I was not ready to be convinced by what they were saying. I started of my own to prove the relevance of theatre and now, the same people accept what I said and believe. They even try to incorporate my ideas. That satisfies me even more because through them it will reach to more people and then more and then the process will be on.

But my path was not bed of roses. Initially no one was willing even to give an ear to what I thought. Theatre people kept me away by saying that I am more a social worker and socially active people said that I am a theatre person. I decided that I will have to give myself to the cause (the one which I was thinking that theatre has a greater scope than where it has been put down to) and I gave my initial few years. I worked hard to prove theatre people that it could be socially relevant and, the NGOs and socially active people that it could be more useful in achieving their goal in more meaningful way. But hurdles of one nature or other did not leave me, at any moment of my growth. I am highly obliged to it as this keeps me on toes.

Moreover, I was aghast to see other notion people carried with them with respect to theatre…they even related it to folk theatre. No, folk theatre is different from it. Main purpose of folk theatre was celebration. To welcome the rain; celebrate the good harvest. Some even said that street theatre is much like madari ka khel…where people are entertained. When you do street theatre you concentrate on the local relevant issues, which disturbs the local residents. I ask one question…. where is the scope to entertain people when a woman has been raped, where a girl is killed even before she sees the light of the sun, where there is dowry death. How are you going to entertainment the residents when a natural or unnatural calamity has stricken them badly? Again people incorporate filmy songs while performing street theatre. I beg them to first understand such a powerful medium of communication and make optimum use of it.

I believe that when you only have knowledge, it is fine. When knowledge is supplemented by skill, you are Better than others. But when you have Knowledge+skill+actions+feelings, Your life becomes meaningful. What I always missed in the Existing theatre scenario is the Soul, the human touch is been Totally missed out.

There is a Skill Need to incorporate that in Our theatrical approach & Process that can be achieved by taking the theatre to where it belonged; among the people, to the Society. We have to bridge the gap between the audience and the performer by taking it out from the enclosed hall to the street, squares and by taking the issues relevant and related to them. When human element is added to the work, creativity goes beyond time & space.

I have found that when person realizes the difference between the two aspects of his/her self, that is, ' he is what he is ' and 'he is what he is not ', the theatre starts. What I mean to say that, for example, there stands a difference between a man X and the same X as a writer. When the conflict is there drama is created. And when drama is there theatre starts.

Based on experiences and exposures I have drawn some conclusions. I would like to share that with you all. I read theories of theatre greats like Konstantin Stanislavsky, Bertolt Brecht, Jerzy Grotowski, Richard Schechner, Habib Tanvir, Badal Sircar and others and evolved different theatrical processes from my own experience

For instance, in a comparative study of processes in Theatre For Theatre and Theatre For Community, summarized below, I have found that when self-assessment is done, through theatre, an actor acknowledges his acting skill whereas a sufferer acknowledges his self- deprivation. Like wise, when a writer analyses an issue, he/she evolves the format & content of the play whereas a sufferer evolves the self- experience. I would like to share the studies with you:
comparative study of processes


All these have taken a long time. Years of my hard work have shown hopes for me. I was very clear in my thought that I can take theatre wherever I want to. I have lived with it as my best companion. I was clear that whatever happen I would never leave theatre. It's been my passion and now it's my life. I have taken theatre as a career. There are other field too where theatre has proved it's relevance. I will take them one by one.    BACK