Journalism of Courage
In the pages of Rabindranath Tagore,lived women who could belong to the 21st century. From the warrior-princess Chitrangada,to the passionate Binodini of Choker Bali,from the lonely housewife in Charulata to the free-spirited
Nandini of Rakta Karabi,they pushed back boundaries,strained against the bonds of duty and family honour,and reached out to a world beyond. Tagores women characters were powerful and incredibly contemporary. His views on women are more true today than in the late 19th century,when he was writing. But,who were Gurudevs own great loves? What happened when he lost them? Was he a lonely man? asks dancer-actor Mallika Sarabhai.
Victoria Ocampo,an Argentinian writer,editor and culture activist,was 34 when she met the 63-year-old Nobel Laureate. Unlike Tagores sister-in-law Kadambari Devi and his wife,Mrinalini both of who influenced his works little is known of her. Some scholars even deny the relationship. It was a huge romance that lasted till Gurudev died. Yet,until I began researching his life,I didnt even know of Victorias existence, adds Mallika.
The performance piece has veteran actor Tom Alter as the older Tagore and Bharatanatyam and contemporary dancer Revanta Sarabhai as the litterateurs younger self. Mallika herself enacts the role of Ocampo,bringing her alive as a towering intellectual who adored Tagores work but didnt treat him as something one puts in a glass case. Theirs was a rare relationship unmarked by possessiveness or a need to stay together and set up home, she says,adding that she has spent a year reading nothing but Tagore and writings on him.
It was in Ocampos house in Buenos Aires that Tagore stayed while he was recuperating,and this is where he is said to have taken up painting. She was also the first person to translate Tagores works into Spanish. Victoria wasnt somebody one should whitewash from Tagores life. His loves reveal his vulnerability and is a greater tribute to his genius, says Mallika.
With Love has been scripted and conceived by Mallika and Steve Mayer-Miller,an Australian artiste who works with aboriginals and island communities. This partnership is in keeping with InterArts ethos of promoting collaborative ventures. Street of Voices,similarly,is conceived by Edinburgh-based theatre artiste and puppeteer,Symon McIntyre,who interprets Tagores Streer Patra,a short story based on Mrinalinis letters to him. We interviewed a hundred women to incorporate their voices into this piece, says Mallika.
