Disrupted harmony

However, one voice stands out — at a tangent. NCPA’s executive director, Vijaya Mehta, is in the centre of this storm. She stands alone as the accused. The person responsible for the din. These strident notes are in sharp contrast with the memories the complex has always harboured — of a sensitive actress. Of a fine director. Mehta was highly respected for taking plays like Mahesh Elkunchwar’s Wada Chirebandi and turning it into gold.

Warning bells turned to full-fledged war with the sudden termination of two NCPA employees — Chetan Datar and Sucharita Apte — by Mehta. It fuelled what, apparently, was a long-suppressed angst. Eminent theatre personalities began to openly air their feelings about what they called "ahighhanded decision". This led to P L Deshpande (honourary director, NCPA), Durga Bhagwat and Dr Ashok Ranade (ethno-musicologist and former deputy director, NCPA) throwing in their collective weight to back Datar and Apte. The matter reached court.

But even as one battle has reached the judiciary, other controversies are threatening to develop epic proportions. Focus has shifted to the closure of the Theatre Development Centre and Documentation of Performing Arts — during Mehta’s tenure. Apparently, the projects did not run out of funds but NCPA authorities are not forthcoming about the factors that led to scrapping these centres. "Both the projects were funded by the Ford Foundation. The NCPA didn’t have to spend any money for it," says Ranade. He points out that the projects were allotted approximately Rs 15 lakh (per year) and $ 8,85,000 respectively — and therefore, there was no danger of funds drying up.

Chandrakant Kulkarni, director of Gandhi Viruddh Gandhi, shares Ranade’s disappointment. Hefeels NCPA’s projects were a must to take theatre into the 21st century. Says Ranade, "The Theatre Development Project involved training programmes, performances and documentation of plays. The second project involved arranging workshops all over India. We are going to be lost without this activity."

But if Mehta has erred by her actions, there are people who point a finger at her inaction. Kulkarni feels that there has been a sharp drop in academic activities in the NCPA. "There are no writer-director workshops. Yes, there was a seminar on Brecht; but Atre Janmashatabdi was completely ignored by NCPA," he says. They point out that Mehta was a part of Rangayan, a group that contributed immensely to experimental theatre, and yet this practise is being ignored. Also the NCPA’s schedule has completely ignored the 150th year of Marathi musicals. "NCPA is not catering to local talent then how is it a `National’ Centre for Performing Arts? Besides the geographical distance, it has distanced itself evenpsychologically from the theatre-loving common man," says Kulkarni.

The intelligentsia also refuses to buy lack of funds as a possible excuse. "If private institutions like the Pune-based Theatre Academy can arrange for activities all over Maharashtra, from four centres besides Pune, there’s no reason why a national institution like the NCPA shouldn’t be able to," says Kulkarni. While they are quick to point out that the attack against Mehta is not personal, they are not so fast when it comes to absolving her of any blame. "I have nothing against Vijayabai but when one expects something from the NCPA, one is expecting it from the authority there. And she is the authority. She should be a cultural ambassador and if she cannot be one, she should step down," says Kulkarni. According to Ranade, "NCPA lacks cultural vision. I don’t see any direction."

If there is a direction, then theatrewallahs accuse it of having a definite slant. Getting dates at the NCPA seems to be governed by arbitrary rules. "I wasreadily given dates for my play but the same rule is not applied to all?" says director Vijay Kenkre, the son of noted Marathi actor Damu Kenkre.

Despite several faxes Mehta has remained quiet. Referring to the Datar-Apte case as subjudice, she refuses to be drawn into a war of words. Mehta defends herself succinctly. "NCPA’s monthly programmes serve to substantiate the true facts of an adequate balance being maintained between English theatre and plays in the languages of India," she says.