Two in One

Strictly for poetry lovers,and on special demand from the audience,theatre director Salim Arif has created an audio CD of poetry from the play Hum-Suffer. The play revolves around a couple at crossroads and the various emotional milestones have been interwoven with soulful verses written and rendered by Gulzar. “Gulzar’s poetry works as a sub-text,and adds a layer to the storyline.The 16 poems take the audience through different stages in the lives of the two protagonists. We have been staging the play since 2009 and,after the play,the audience not only appreciates the poetry but also asks about its source,’’ says Arif. Now,audience members can carry back the poems in a CD,giving the play a unique recall value.

He is not alone in creating merchandise around a play. A number of authors,painters and theatre people are extending the reach of their works through allied products and initiatives. Sid Bahri’s novel The Homing Pigeons comes with an original soundtrack of five soulful songs,with the theme song being performed by Dehradun-based Rishikesh-The Band. “A book that comes with a soundtrack is fairly new in India; but,the concept has been tried in the US. Jodi Picoult’s Sing You Home is one such book. The Homing Pigeons is one of the first books in India to have an exclusive soundtrack that was created for a script,’’ says Bahri. The author adds that he loved the concept of giving voice to the characters and pairing it with music to impart depth to the treatment. “The band has captured the moods and characters expertly in the five tracks and this gives readers a chance to lend an ear to both words and music,” says the author.

Diwan Manna,Chairperson of Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi,has conceptualised and designed a collection of memorabilia with imprints of artwork by renowned artists. Here,one can find works by Muzaffar Ali and Shakti Burman on ties,Anjolie Ela Menon on lampshades,and cushions with a touch of Krishen Khanna as well as coffee mugs with Raghu Rai’s photographs. The merchandise is available at every art event and exhibition the Akademi holds. Manna floated the concept on a small scale to get a layman interested in art. “Artists have been forthcoming in donating their works free of cost,’’ says Manna.

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Another journey is from stage to screen — Niresh Kumar,a final-year student of National School of Drama in Delhi,is charting the journey of Alankar Theatre. The group,with Chakresh Kumar at the helm,works with children from NGOs and presents socially relevant plays.

Niresh’s documentary focuses on the theatre movements in the region and individuals who are driving change. The documentary will be screened at theatre shows and festivals. “My effort is to get the two mediums together to absorb new audiences,support the cause of theatre and pay an ode to those who play against all odds,’’ says Niresh.