Journalism of Courage
Say ‘Red Nose Clowning Technique’ and an image pops out of one’s mind. An image of a funny man wearing pantomime shoes,baggy ,polka dotted pants,a loose,multi-hued shirt,loud make-up complete with a big red nose. Stop right there. This is not about a circus clown,engrossed in funny antics to spread laughs. Instead,it is a theatre technique that has trickled into the city’s stage fraternity.
Actors Kader Khan and Ranvir Shorey are two names associated with the Red Nose Clowning technique. They have practised it and used it in their individual acting methods. With the current workshop being conducted in the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII) Pune,many more young actors will be joining them in using this technique to unmask emotions and display one’s vulnerability without any inhibitions. Ashwath Bhatt,visiting faculty at the FTII,says that clowning has been a tool employed by western actors to bring realism into their performances,connect with themselves and showcase this connection to audiences. In fact,it is not even close to an idea of a circus clown, he says,adding,The method has been woefully under-utilised. It is something that all serious actors should work on.
The clown in the actor can be serious or funny. Or even emotional. He can throw tantrums. He can stand outside the man-made societal barriers and poke fun and pass comments on the hollow and shallow beliefs of society. That perhaps is the beauty of the technique. It removes the childishness that most adults are often influenced by in their day-to-day lives,and replaces it with child-like innocence that is a necessary ingredient for living a happy life, says Bhatt,who also practises this technique with his experimental project called ‘The Theatre Garage Project’.
