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Journalism of Courage
Nursing a torn ligament,checking the stage and light system at the Tagore Theatre for any last-minute glitches,going through a check-list of small details that still needed her attention,21-year-old Namrata Goyal is unruffled by all the action around her. The young theatre director is upbeat about her new production Black Comedy,staged at the Tagore this evening,which Goyal describes as a challenge,so thats why a fulfilling experience, smiles Goyal who has been involved with the creative arts,music,dance and theatre since the age of three,and also equipped with a degree in film studies.
Daughter of Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal,for Namrata theatre is a tool of empowerment,encouragement and building a team of professionals who are successful and happy at all levels. I wanted to break barriers and notions of hierarchy after I joined my dads company,Jet Airways, interacting with employees Goyal strived to get employees together creatively,through theatre. Getting employees of all ages and who had never acted before on one platform was an exercise that Goyal took as a challenge,for there was scope of experimentation,no inhibitions,out-of-the-box ideas and research building. Theatre helped them live their characters,made them think,have fun,get to know each other well and build bridges. I,as a director,did not throw a script at them or expect them to behave or speak in a certain way. There was a fluidity and ease which was evident on stage as we did our first play,Six Seasons of Love,based on the play Tumhari Amrita, with the cast and director receiving special appreciation from Shabana Azmi for the effort and performance. The first step to create an open space and work as a team has been taken successfully. The actual test was to go back to work and continue this journey and create it as a model for the work environment,a journey we are charting slowly and steadily, for Goyal staging the play in Chandigarh was special,it brought back many eventful memories. Goyal was here more than a year back when she was making a docudrama,titled There is no one like him as a tribute to her father Naresh Goyal on his 60th birthday and went back to his home in Sangrur,which was auctioned when he was only 12. His mom and he were on the streets and he told his mother that he would get her back all this and more and he single-handedly with his hard work made a success of everything. Theres so much the young can do,only of we believe and thats where I want to go, Goyal hopes to do theatre and films that would inspire all sections of the audience. At heart an actor first,Goyal feels you need the sensibility of an actor to be a good director,I want to connect the past,present and future and so I dont take up projects just for the heck of it. Everything needs to have meaning,substance and generate something positive, training is the area that Goyal is now looking at.
Though a comedy on the surface,Black Comedy deals with varied human emotions and shades of characters jealousy,betrayal and deceit. Lighting was an aspect of theatre I was not comfortable with,so I chose the play to make sure that I understand and know the art of lighting, Goyal says the play reflects varied shades of human character and emotions,one that the audience can associate with. Theatre is about connecting with everyone,on and off stage, Goyal flies high.
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