Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Issues concerning the common man are the focus
of this production
What drives a group of successful,talented and well-known actors from the film and television industry to go through trials and tribulations of theatre and its tough existence. Commitment and dedication, comes the answer in unison from Rakesh Bedi,Aasif Sheikh,Bharat Kapoor,Kuldip Singh,Avtaar Gill,Manju Sharma and director Ramesh Talwar. Travelling to Chandigarh with their play Aaall Izz Well With Shuturmurgh,that was staged at Tagore Theatre as part of the ongoing Chandigarh Tourism Week,the veteran director uses humour and satire to tell the tale of a common man who suffers due to corruption,politicians double standards and petty politics in the name of cast and religion.
Written by Gyandev Agnihotri in 1968,Bedi says that the theme of the play is as relevant today. Sadly,not much has changed in terms of corruption and our leaders letting us down,even after all these years of Independence. However,we have adapted it
according to the contemporary scenario.
The production touches upon innumerable issues,including crores of rupees spent on the Commonwealth Games and tax payers money that has been used to erect statues of political leaders. The palace setting discusses these issues though puns and satire and raising questions like Who is a common man? and What is his existence?. We laugh at our own tragedies, explains Sheikh.
And even though Bedi is working on a new film,theatre still drives him. Associated with IPPTA for the many decades,the veteran director goes down memory lane to talk about the movement. Even today,we only do theatre with a message. Shabana Azmi,Balraj Sahni,I,and many others got a salary of Rs five or ten,and even now an actor works for Rs 100. We spend more on commuting and even if its a houseful,we spend more on booking the theatre and extraneous factors, says Bedi,adding that people in Mumbai support theatre by buying tickets. He hopes the trend will catch up in Chandigarh too.
