Play for a cause

A few months ago, WWF-India was discussing a not-so-wild problem — how to drive home the message of conservation among children?

The stage is a medium for many messages — from RTI to nature conservation

A few months ago, WWF-India was discussing a not-so-wild problem — how to drive home the message of conservation among children? Prashant Narang of Prabodh, an NGO that works on the issue of good governance, was meanwhile racking his brains about something else — how to make the Right to Information Act less boring for college students? At CanSupport, the debate was about an effective fundraiser. All three hit on the same solution — why not say it through an entertaining play? Indeed, a play! Not rock concerts, not movies, not a celeb circus, but good old play.

Prabodh tied up with Five Elementz to present the wackily titled Gabbar Singh Files RTI at NSIT College, of the Capital, and landed a runaway hit. The story of the Sholay villain exposing bureaucratic corruption was peppered with oneliners and witticisms that had the young audience rollicking even as they learnt a lesson or two about the nitty-gritty of the RTI Act. “We now plan to hold a theatre competition on good governance before the general elections next year,” says Narang.

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Coming up next month is Snap, a play jointly produced by the Poddar and Nanda foundations for an aid fund for cancer patients. The play is being directed by Vivek Mansukhani of Scene Stealers, who for the past three years has also been involved in making plays for the organisation Kids for Kids.

For theatrewallahs, the support of an organisation means they don’t have to scour for funds, permit, place or PR. “It also helps as a branding exercise. Working for a cause like the RTI Act is special,” says Rakhi Mehta of Five Elementz.

For the NGOs, it means a relatively cheaper but powerful medium to get the message across. “Theatre means a captive audience,” says Narang. Talk about stage-managing issues.

Parthala flyover in Noida barely visible through a dense cover of smog

2 days after Diwali, Delhi continues to inhale ‘very poor’ air

Cities1 hr ago

Residents in Delhi once again woke up to thick smog on Wednesday morning, with an AQI of 345 on October 22 at 5.30 am, falling in the ‘very poor’ category according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This is the second consecutive day of deteriorating air quality in Delhi, after the national capital celebrated Diwali.

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