People Power

Forum Theatre” or the “Theatre of the Oppressed”, an idea conceptualised by Augusto Boal, a Brazilian, in the early 1970s, was perceived as a social and political platform for the oppressed to express themselves. Sanjoy Ganguly’s Jana Sanskriti takes that very idea forward. “There is a need for a democratic platform where victims and oppressors alike can give vent to their frustrations and address their problems. The aim of Jana Sanskriti is to build up a socio-cultural movement to combat oppression,” says Ganguly.

Using different case studies- that of domestic abuse, rape and sexual harassment and even workplace problems -Ganguly reinforced the importance of including the audience in the meaning-making process of the play. “The audience is not a passive viewer in forum theatre. The actors of this kind of theatre involve the audience in the proceedings of the play. The audience generally tend to be victims of oppression, and through this medium they are urged to present their reality. Today we are training these people to sensitise themselves to the whole scenario. They have to deal with their own demons before they reach out to help other people,” says Ganguly.