The Clown Prince

Wearing a little red clown nose and encouraging people to shed their inhibitions and behave stupidly may hardly be considered as an important theatrical tool by a layman. However,Red Nose Clowning artist Ashwath Bhatt swears by the serious side of the technique. “We tend to think,analyse and then over-analyse trivial things in life. In the process,we get trapped in a self-spun web of hypocricy. Red Nose Clowning allows us to cast aside this iron mask and showcase our true,silly,stupid selves,” says Bhatt,who is a visiting faculty at the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII). Bhatt’s new play ‘Infinite Stupidity’ is based on a branch of Red Nose Clowning called Clinical Clowning. It will premier at the Ritwik Festival in Behrampur,West Bengal on December 21.

Back from a two-month long trip in Germany and London,where the technique is a serious aspect of theatre,Bhatt is in the process of replicating it for the first time in India. “My European stint was mainly to practise,learn and research the technique of Clinical Clowning,” he says. “As the name suggests,theatre clown artistes visit orphanages,old-age homes and hospitals to perform for people there to make them laugh and ponder over the way in which our society functions. It is a proven therapeutic technique to cheer them up,which in turn improves their mental and physical health,” he explains.

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His play will showcase the existing chaos in our country. “We are a country of extremes – the rich and the poor,the glass buildings and the slums they overlook. There are numerous examples. Through the show,we will ask these questions in a simple and subtle manner,” he says. The play will also dwell on hypocrisy. “We are a fragmented lot of people who are ready to divide one another on the basis of caste,creed and religion. This play will stress on the importance of being real,fresh and a little stupid through a simple clown mask,” he says.

Post its West Bengal premiere,the show will travel to Delhi and “hopefully to other cities”. Bhatt is also juggling his time between his role in Mira Nair’s upcoming film The Reluctant Fundamentalist and his other theatre commitments. He wants to stage Infinite Stupidity in Pune. “Perhaps,we could get it to FTII sometime in February next year. First,let’s hope that the show receives a good response and that people aren’t afraid to see their true selves,” he grins.