All the world’s a stage for them

“I just love acting and being on stage,” says Sanimar.

Sanimar is a member of Rangmanch Rangnagri,a group of around 200 artistes,which is once again trying to make theatre a permanent career option for the directionless youth,old loners and even kids. From a salesman,plumber,journalist,mechanic,clerks,social workers to graduates and undergraduates,this rangnagri welcomes one and all with open arms. The group was started by Tarlochan Panesar way back in 1999,who himself took to theatre at the age of 15 and never got discouraged by the poor response the group got in the beginning.

The wife of retired Army officer,Meenu Bhattal,63,re-discovered herself after she saw her family cheering for her and whistling on her dialogues while she performed in play “Hath Pichode Sir Dhunney Jab Rehan Bihai”,based on drug addiction. The story of the play got wide appreciation where a police officer supplies drugs to a youngster and in the end his own son dies because of the drug overdose.

“The only fear was that I never wanted to fail at this age. This group has taught me teamwork and I never imagined theatre in this age will be so much fun,” said Bhattal.

The group,which has staged more than 80 plays till now in Punjabi,also makes sure that youngsters joining the group are guided,prepared and financially helped for career ahead in theatre.

“Youth today adopts theatre only as a beginning platform and then leaves it midway as the audience,income and love for this art are dying. They like it but fear grips them if they think of it as a career. Our aim is to chase out that fear,” says Panesar,who pays fee of needy students who want to pursue theatre professionally.

One of his students,Pardip Joshi,who started theatre as a hobby and later did MA in theatre with Panesar’s help is now coming up with his own movie “Bathinda Express”,based on sports and slated for April release.

“The group gave me what I needed to make a start. They gave me theatre and exposure when it is dying,” says Joshi.

Similarly,Kirandeep Singh,who joined the group in 2006,was helped in completing his Plus Two and now he is pursuing his masters in theatre from Panjab University,Chandigarh.

Manvir and Sikander,both a part of the group,were guided and sent to Lovely Professional University,Jalandhar,for their bachelors in performing arts after they showed interest in theatre as a career. “Guidance is what makes you believe in your dreams. That is what this group did,” says Sikander.

Arshdeep Singh,11,will perform for the first time in the next play based on cruelty against old people. “I failed in first year of college because of some family and financial problems,and then joined this group because I like acting. Now I am doing theatre along with pursuing graduation,” says Sahil Malhotra,20,a student at KLSD College.

“The love for theatre and hope to see it blooming once again keep us going. There are many backstage people who actually make plays a success,” says Satish Gulati,who has been publishing plays written by the group and financially supporting them since 1998. He himself is a script writer,poet and lyricist.

“The group practises at Punjabi Bhawan and is not charged anything because of Punjab Sahitya Academy. Funds are arranged through donations,” says Panesar who also works in an insurance company.

The group’s plays like “Kangiari” (woman kills husband for raping girl) and “Dukh Dariya” (a woman termed infertile is later not accepted with her daughter) with unique social issues were widely appreciated.