Cutting a long story,short

The group celebrated its first anniversary this year by inaugurating the project ‘Yuva’ in Kolkata. “Then on January 13,five of us just set out on a random national tour,” smiles Majumdar. Through this youth movement,they perform the reading of the play Dear Ragini,directed by Majumdar. “Theatre includes all forms of creative art. In our performance,we have live projections,music,dance,and even fine arts in the form of our set design. It is a collage of all art forms,” Majumdar says,adding,“It was my goal to have a group managed by the youth for the youth and that is why we decided to extend Lok to the rest of the country. I feel there is a dearth of a cohesive youth-based creative arts group in most places.”

Hoping to fill that void in different cities and relay a real message to the youth,the group reads the letters written to Ragini by playwright Shekhar Malhotra. “He sends the letters and the drafts of his plays to her,and in the end,one realises that Ragini is but a fictional character,and his last letter is a suicide note,” Majumdar says. One senses his sentiments spiralling as he describes the play. “It is partly inspired from the story of a close friend who was a musician and who even jammed with us when Lok was launched. He committed suicide last year because of depression,” his voice trails.

Their manner of performing the play is as thought-provoking as their emotions. “Our method is based on the long-forgotten way of Indian story-telling – ‘katha’. We have combined western songs,traditional Indian tunes,dhols,violins and guitars to make it a holistic art experience,” adds Majumdar.

The group is also determined to reach out to the rural sector. “I will be conducting a theatre workshop for 12 young farmers in Raipur,Chattisgarh. Through the workshop,we will direct a play that they will perform in Bengaluru in February. Communication and opportunities will make all the difference in bridging the gap between the rural and urban sector,” he feels.