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Journalism of Courage
HER voice rattles and hums. Her moves see Kathakali meet dandiya. And her multimedia theatrical presentation hurtles you along on a personal journey. Maya Krishna Rao, who presented Deeper Fried Jam DFJ at Prithvi Theatre8217;s recent national festival, isn8217;t easy to peg.
Daughter of actor-dancer, Banumathi, Rao8217;s trained in Kathakali and Bharatnatyam, and spent half her Delhi student years on stage. 8220;I entered at Level Six but never considered theatre a profession,8221; admits the artiste who twice opted out of the National School of Drama NSD. After studying sociology, political science and theatre in England8212;and conducting various workshops with students8212;Rao set up her own company, Vismayah, 10 years ago. 8220;This winding path has influenced my solo performances, ensuring that social processes reflect in my work,8221; she feels.
8220;Surajit experimented during rehearsals. Or brought clips that acted as stimuli,8221; she recalls, adding, 8220;We8217;ve grown up on the same music8212;Jimi Hendrix, Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin8212;which naturally lead to the confluence of ideas.8221;
DFJ is presented like a rock show, with Ghosh playing various instruments, Sarkar projecting live recordings, Rao8212;in psychedelic garb8212;crooning songs, dancing across the ramp-stage and musing out dialogues. The frenetically-paced episodes represent urban life: nostalgia Delhi in jamun season, prejudice The Other we don8217;t want in our neighbourhood, competition faster technology with satisfaction guaranteed, violence let8217;s get her, creativity tapping the rhythm within. So the slipper in the Gujarat episode assumes demonic proportions, when the camera juxtaposes it with a map, money and bloodstains. 8220;I8217;ve always wanted to bring Gandhi on stage,8221; she says about his image on currency notes, 8220;It8217;s an everyday face no one looks at. But he8217;s not really an everyday person in our minds.8221;
She does meet people who feel they didn8217;t understand the entire performance. 8220;But they say, 8216;Hum bhaav mein aa gaye.8217; I can8217;t analyse meanings from my sub-conscious. But if it triggers memories from your experience, you make it your own,8221; she reasons, continuing, 8220;There8217;s improvisation on stage too. Ashim plays a variant note, bringing new thoughts and moves. Every show is different.8221;
After the NSD festival, Women8217;s Theatre festival Delhi, House of World Cultures shows Berlin and the Prithvi festival Mumbai, Rao is now taking DFJ to the Other Festival Chennai and Kolkata. 8220;Shows are planned in Delhi colleges too. Youngsters, in a state of shift, identify with issues of politics, nostalgia, love and self-identity,8221; she believes.
Of the 20-odd episodes, seven to eight feature in a show. The team also tries to incorporate events occurring on the day of the staging. 8220;And we8217;d like an all-night performance, like traditional theatre. We have disco nights and rave parties8212;it8217;ll be interesting to see how this translates into contemporary theatre,8221; Rao enthuses. As for future projects: 8220;It8217;s the process, the journey, that challenges me. But I get easily bored, so I need to excite myself, before making something new.8221;
