Manav Kaul

"जीवन में सब जीना, कुछ मत छोड़ना| एक शॉर्ट स्टोरी है, उसमें जो है सब करना| जो बोलता है न ये ग़लत है वो मूर्ख है| जितनी पीड़ा जियोगी, प्रेम भी उतना ही करोगी| जितना झूठ जियोगी, उतना सच जानोगी| जीना नहीं छोड़ना, बस| जो 'टक' से आता है वो तुरंत करना|"

("Live everything in life, do not leave anything. It is a short story so do everything. One who says this is wrong is foolish. As much as you'll live the pain, you'll love more. As much as you'll live the lie, you'll know truth. Never give up 'living' it. Do what comes to your heart immediately.")

This is how an informal interview with Manav Kaul finished and began a new relationship called friendship.  

So, this post is not at all about 'The Manav Kaul' who have done certain number of films, who is a playwright, who is an actor, who is the founder-director of a Bombay-based theatre group, nothing like that. This post is about my new friend Manav. If you wanna know his bio, google is happy to help. If you wanna know about his plays, he has all them on his blog 'Mere Natak'. If you wanna read his text, he has another blog 'Maun Mein Baat'. And if you wanna read his poems, that I suggest you definitely should,  you can jump on to 'Meri Kavitayein'. 

Though I'm too young to be a friend of such a person who had lived a lot of his life until I was born, but that's the beauty of this person. Anyone who knows him, is a friend. You only have to have an open mind to listen and accept to what he says and have faith in yourself too. Manav is a kind of person whom one can't really explain, and most of us, fans of Nirmal Verma, probably believe that there is no need for explanations every time! 

If he really likes your company and appreciate you, you don't need to be surprised if he some day drops in your rental room where you live, or texts you up saying "Hey whats up? Let's meet!", or ask you to take him to 'chai ki gumthi' on you bike, or just anything! And trust me, he can do this! 

Yes, he has worked really hard to get there where we see him today, but he has never seen struggle as 'struggle' but a happening part of life that helped him grow. Living in a city like Bombay, it looks nearly impossible to keep yourself away from the illusion of glamour, money and fame. Anyone would just run behind work and good roles in Bollywood, anyone would just fall to have a good connection in the industry and media. But this guy knows that what is important to him is 'self' and not others. Probably this is what gives him the strength, rather sense, to reject what he doesn't like. He says, we live in this misconception that we know something but the truth is, we do not know anything. "No matter what we do, how we do, how much we do, we all know nothing and at the end it doesn't matter if we do not like it", says Manav. Since he has realized this fact, he is as normal to me as he would be with any other person, be it Prakash Jha, Amitabh Bachcha, or just anyone. But, here is a small twist! The only person with whom Manav has ever felt start stuck is Vinod Kumar Shukla. Vinod ji is his very favorite writer, so much so that you can read it on his face when he is talking about Vinod ji.

One person whose philosophy Manav likes, and unintentionally follows, is Mahatma Gandhi. Manav thinks there is no one like Gandhi. While he was invited for an informal session called 'Theatre Talk' organised by Vihaan Drama Works at Tea Talks in Bhopal, Manav had said that he understood Gandhi ji when he wanted to, not when he was asked to. Later he also stated that he is a kind of a person who can say things contrary to what he said previously. This reminded me of what Gandhi ji had also said that he doesn't believe in the term given by his followers as 'Gandhism', as he is experimenting with his life with truth, he might say something contradictory some other day. Later on I asked Manav if he follows Gandhi, he said that he thinks there is no other great philosopher like Gandhi anywhere! 'Honesty' is the most important idea of Manav's life. He says that he always wants to be honest to himself and to others. That makes him feel liberated. That is why you need to have the strength of acceptability and faith in yourself when you meet him. "I think I do not have anything with myself than honesty and all of us will die with that only thing and nothing else", he says. So, if he doesn't like anything that you'll tell him, he will apologize for being rude but he will tell you he doesn't like it. Don't get offended, he is like that! :P

When you'll meet him after reading his blogs and watching his plays, you'll have to make yourself believe that this is the same person. He has so much of depth in his thinking, working, philosophy but he won't make you feel so when you meet him in person. He would say the hardest of truth and idea very simply. Surprisingly, it is a kind of challenge to take him seriously after being friends. Manav is a 'happy-go-lucky' kind of a guy but as he starts speaking on stories, literature, poetry, philosophy, he becomes someone else, but that too he would communicate so simply that you won't think it's a lesson! So much he has read that it makes me sick that I know nothing!

However, there are certain things where we do not agree in person and there are differences on many issues. For instance, he doesn't believe in preserving things like tradition, culture etc. that I think exactly opposite. He doesn't believe in the importance of what people do as traditional rituals that I think is very essential for any culture or society. He let things die if there is a need and I believe in keeping them alive. He doesn't believe in past and history that I do. Some things about style of theatre and so on. But as we understand, everything is important, to have contradictions too, is very important. Diversity makes things different and so we are able to choose and live through what we like, or else everyone in this world would be the same and we would die out of boredom!

And to this, Manav says, "Isn't it interesting that everyone is so different? We get so many stories out of people!" Stories, that is his favorite thing to think, create, understand and write.

So! I feel good that I have got a new friend, way too old but even younger to me at heart. He is fun, intense, sensible and sometimes insensible too (I hope you don't mind me saying that Mr. Kaul!). When I tell him he is crazy, he says "I am normal, this world is weird!" But I think being crazy is awesome and I still believe you are crazy dear friend...Rather we are!!!

I'm sure you're loving the setting. The back poster is being designed by Sourabh Anant.

Sudeep Sohni moderating the Theatre Talk session

Closing with a crazy picture! Cheers!!

Cultural extravaganza at IIT Bombay

Mumbai! No, I would rather like to call it Bombay!

So, it was 28th of May, 2015 when I finished my university exams and I already had a plan for the next week. I was super excited for this trip to attend the 3rd International Convention organized by SPIC MACAY at IIT Bombay in the last week of May to be continued till June first week.

With all sincerity from my heart I really want to thank Dr. Kiran Seth for establishing this wonderful organisation that promotes Indian art and culture among youth. Before I share my experience of being there and attending the convention, I want people to know what is it about. Ofcourse you can know about SPIC MACAY from anywhere but the idea behind such a convention is outstanding. The seven day convention was held at one of the most beautiful campus, with staying and food without any cost! We only had to get our train tickets done and rest all without any expense. The convention was designed to have a morning Yoga session, a three hour intensive/workshop in any art form in the morning, afternoon concerts, evening concerts and necessary breaks for food in between. In the seven day international convention, more than 1500 delegates from more that 15 countries and almost 100 artists joined the event to make it successful.

For a person like me, it was nothing less than a blessing to attend such a convention and live every moment of it. Yes, I lived every second of it! SPIC MACAY got the best of the artists and Gurus for us to perform and teach. Isn't it the rarest of occasion where you get to listen to the soulful tunes from Girija Devi singing Kajari and Thumri, watching Birju Maharaj bringing serenity with the expression of Rasas, looking at Akbar Padamsee with his timeless paintings, witnessing the magic of Shiv Kumar Sharma's stick in hands running over Santoor strings, Shahid Parvez bringing another world altogether with his fingers on Sitar, Sujata Mohapatra taking you to the trance with her delicate and beautiful moves of Odissi ...Yes, all this happened all seven days in IIT Bomaby and art lovers, I know, you are craving to attend something like this. There was a time in this event when I felt so much relieved after watching Malavika Sarukkai's Bharatnatyam and I just couldn't stop my tears flow endlessly. That was a moment of peace where one feels the presence of God and his grace in music and dance.

Praveen Kumat performing Bharatnatyam

Birju Maharaj performing Kathak

T.V. Shankaranarayanan performing Carnatic music 

Girija Devi performing Hindustani classical music

Ileana Citaristi performing Mayurbhanj Chhau

Malavika Sarukkai performing Bharatnatyam

Sujata Mohapatra performing Odissi

Dadi Pudumjee's artist with human sized puppet 

Shekhar Sen performing 'Kabeer'

Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma with his Santoor

In the morning session of intensive, we had to choose any art form that we would want to learn and understand. With some kind suggestions of my teacher, I chose to learn Kudiyattam, which is the oldest style of Sanskrit theatre in India. Margi Madhu was our intensive guru and for the next five days he taught us the basics of and about Kudiyattam. Madhu sir is a great artist and above of all a wonderful person. Those sessions of Kudiyattam have really changed something in me as an audience and an art lover too, I feel enriched!

In between these sincere sessions, travelling in local for the first time, visiting Haji Ali Dargaah and Marine Drive, we did something adventurous that I would love to share! We were around 17 people from Bhopal including 15 students of MANIT. On a beautiful night, one of a student, also my school junior proposes the idea of climbing the hill at one side of the institute. Of course me and another girl denied 'who were not an engineering student' but they insisted we'll like it. The adventurous 'me' didn't want to miss that chance and believe me, there is nothing like climbing a hill at mid-night, reaching there up on the top and spending all night beneath the full moon and open sky! I could see half of the city, the lakes, the tall building that looked smaller to us. That feeling is of course out of my reach to express in words. Bombay was a painting from there. We saw the sun rising, heard birds singing and couldn't do much than just filling up the fresh air in our lungs. Smiles all the way, happiness inside, we returned back to our hostel.

Soon I returned home with this experience. That was joy! 

Neelam Mansingh, anchoring the roots!

Neelam Mansingh Choudhary has been honored with Sangeet Natak Akamedi Award in 2003 and Padma Shri Award in 2011 for her extraordinary contribution in Indian theatre. And believe me, she is one of the most simple going, humble, sweet and classy woman you'll ever meet. 

This Punjabi woman is not unknown to the city and neither Bhopal is unknown to her. Neelam Mansingh Choudhary settled in Bhopal in 1979 when Bharat Bhawan was just an idea. She is one of those artists who inaugurated the stage of Bharat Bhawan when the cultural hub was established and that makes it more emotional for her and also for the city. Along with the artists of her Chandigarh based theatre group ‘The Company’ Neelam Mansingh came down to the city for her show in Bharat Bhawan few months back to stage the play 'The licence' based on the story of Saadat Hassan Manto, and let me remind you Manto is a dare! 

I had spoken to Neelam ji on phone few days before she reached Bhopal, thanks to Sourabh Anant, and she had asked me to come down to Bharat Bhawan on the previous night of the show where she directly reached from the airport. Late at night on a Tuesday in November 2014, preparing the lights for her show next day, Neelam ji didn’t need a question for the push to speak. She instantly said, “I thought that the show is a part of some festival but it is a standalone performance. However for me it’s like coming home in a strange kind of manner where all the people I knew are dead. There is an emotional connect with the city. And you know we inaugurated the stage with Nirmal Verma’s ‘The Weekend’. It’s really wonderful to be here again!”

Vishakha: When you were in Nationa School of Drama, Ebrahim Alkazi was the Director and when you joined Rangamandal of Bharat Bhawan you worked with B.V. Karanth. Both of them are legends and are two different schools. How did that training influenced you in your learning years with them?

Neelam ji: I think I was very fortunate to work with the two legends of Indian theatre. Alkazi was a renaissance man, like a sage and philosopher, working on realism, rehearsals and design. What I really got from Alkazi was very invaluable that is the work culture and a sense of detail. Whereas Karanth ji was an anarchist and he used to work on improvisations, spontaneity of the actor, what we call people’s theatre. The association of four and a half year with Karanth ji in Bharat Bhawan lasted for another 22 years. His collaboration with my company in music is just unforgettable and inseparable. So it was between a sage and an anarchist. I think I completed my education in theatre like this. I feel lucky.

Vishakha: How did you come to Bhopal after NSD and why going back to Chandigarh?

Neelam ji: Both were not my choice. I came to Bhopal because my husband got transferred and the same reason for going back. When I came here, I knew nothing about the idea of Bharat Bhawan but I was fortunate to be at the right time at the right place. When I had to go back, I was heartbroken. Mere bas mein hota to main Bhopal se kabhi nahi jati! Look at this space, it is so beautiful, the art gallery, Antarang, Bahirang, kahan milta hai ye sab! There were people like Nirmal Verma, J.Swaminathan and one of the exciting directors like Karanth ji, who would ever want to leave all this!

Vishakha: And then you started working in Punjabi…

Neelam ji: This is what Karanth ji said when I was very upset. He said if you want your theatre to be contemporary, work with you own language. You can’t move towards modernity without anchoring somewhere. And there was this big challenge with Punjabi theatre as there were many crazy notions like language of truck drivers, funny characters like cartoons on screen and Punjabi theatre was considered downtrodden. It was like dismissing a language and the culture. It was almost a political decision, unconsciously, and Punjab was a troubled state at that particular time. What Karant ji said to me was non-negotiable and so I realized the need of working with the language and style because people also need to know that Gurumukhi is a beautiful language and the Sufiyana Kalam also comes from the same land.

Vishakha: What about Naqqals specifically?

Neelam ji: Most of my ideas generated while I was working here in Bhopal with Rangmandal, this is why I consider this place as my Karmabhoomi. B.V. started getting the Nacha, tribe tradition, group from Bundelkhand for some projects. Those interactions were not to get us in a particular tradition but to help us open and unlock our tied up energies. And this was not only Karanth ji’s idea but Pannikar was doing it with Chakyaars and Ratan Thiyyam was doing it in Manipur. In Chandigarh, I was working with many aspects of Punjab, martial arts, Sufi etc. and I came across Naqqals. There were many reasons for the deterioration in that tradition and many things were changing. Naqqals had skills but that wasn’t like Jatra and others. I thought this is a tradition needed to be worked on.

Vishakha: What do you think about the recent theatrical activities and conditions?

Neelam ji: This is difficult to say. If I were living in some other country I could have answered that but India has got such a huge traditional variety. It is difficult to see Indian theatre from one aspect. But yes, I think that money is a big issue. Surviving on theatre is difficult; it is uncertain and financially disturbing.

Play: 'The Licence'

Sa’adat Hasan Manto is that one writer of all times who is a dare to be performed on stage. The intensity of emotions and psychological hammering in his stories creates instability inside the reader. One such story of Manto ‘The License’ was staged in Bharat Bhawan that had certain references from Bertolt Brecht’s story ‘The Job’. With the third bell and lights off in the auditorium, audience was prepared for something spectacular to happen.

The story deals with the life of a girl Neeti who runs away with a Tongawala named Suraj. After few months of their marriage the police finds out the couple and arrests Suraj. Neeti tries to insist the cop that she ran away willingly and Suraj did not force her but her husband is put behind the bars. Due to ill health in the jail, Suraj dies after two months but since he had given his Tonga on rent to one of his friends Deena, Neeti used to get a fixed amount every day. After Suraj’s death, Deena proposes Neeti for marriage but she refuses and later she is raped. Neeti decides to move on and get the Tonga herself on road. She would take people on her Tonga and earn a livelihood but one day a cruel traffic police stops Neeti and demands to see her license. Neeti doesn’t have the license so she said she will come to the office tomorrow and apply for it. The next day when Neeti reaches the office, the officer tells her that she is a woman and can’t run a Tonga on road. Neeti says she doesn’t know anything else, how will she survive? The officer tells her to sit in the market and sell her body. The height of anger crosses the limits and Neeti had no option than to wear her husband’s cloths and become a man to run her Tonga.

The play began and it was only after one hour that the audience realized it was a play. Dumbstruck, no one there could take their eyes off the stage. Many a times there were silence of speech but the movements of the actors were narrating the story, sincerely followed by everyone.  The play was like story telling where Ramanjit Kaur played the roles perfectly, bringing the soul of every character in her body. There was a character in background filling up the scenes, acting with the reference of the ongoing story and interacting with Ramanjit’s characters played by Gick Grewal. The music was live, beautifully designed on the set in a corner where the singers were sitting in a circle with the kerosene lamps. Music was designed by B.V. Karanth who was associated with The Company for 22 years. The folk music of Punjab was amazingly put in to enhance the play performed by Pamela Singh, Meher Chand, Bahadur, Satman Ringh, Ram Singh and Amarjit. Lights get the big compliments for the best output of the emotions throughout the play. Daulat Ram Vaid designed the lights and Parveen Jaggi executed with perfection. Properties were another fascination in the play. Water, milk, Tonga, bench, kerosene lamps, bucket, cloths, bricks, everything was used on stage as per the need. Everything was real! 

Rang Sopan-2: A mini cultural trip to Kerala

It's going to be a year that I covered this amazing theater festival 'Rang Sopan-2' that was dedicated to and based on the work of Padma Bhushan Kavalam Narayan Panikkar. It was the beginning of my work in Hindustan Times and my good luck too that I got the opportunity to meet K.N. Panikkar and watch his plays. The festival was held for 7 days at Bharat Bhawan in Bhopal and was absolute fun, ofcourse for those who love to know and explore about Indian art and culture. 
There is so much to say about this personality whom I met in the beginning of my job. This festival gave me a good direction to move forward. The seven day festival 'Rang Sopan-2' was indeed like a 'festival' where all of us, Bhopalies, saw the richness of the culture of Kerala. The festival included plays in Hindi, Sanskrit and Malayalam, some sessions of Rang Sangeet (music of theatre), some talk and discussion session on the contribution and working style of K.N. Panikkar.
The evenings began with 'Theyyam' which is a traditional spiritual folk dance form from Kerala. Rather, Theyyam is a very popular ritual of worshiping prominent in the state. The performer uses a lot of make-up and heavy head gears traditionally. Dance movements are vigorous and special instruments accompany the performer. Theyyam is based on different stories famous on the land and have more than 400 types.

Later the Sopanam Rang Samooh would stage the play everyday either in Hindi, Sanskrit or Malayalam. The most exciting part of this whole festival was that even the non-Malayalam and non-Sanskrit speaking audience would understand the story. This is one of the strength of Panikkar's productions that the expressions, movements, music, set and lights would say it all and language is not a barrier! Another strength is his actors. It looked near to impossible that the same actors staged six different play of different moods in three different languages continuously without any flaw! One of the Hindi play was staged by the artists working in the repertory of National School of Drama. The classic style, dramatization of all elements of the play and amazing acting skills of artists of the group made it even more interesting and attractive where a huge population in theater fraternity is working on realistic theater. Sharing some photographs of the plays.

Still from the Malayalam play 'Uttar Raamcharitam' (उत्तर रामचरितम्) by Sopanam Rang Samooh 

Still from the Hindi play 'Abhigyan-shakuntalam' (अभिज्ञान शाकुन्तलम) by NSD repertory 

Still from the Malayalam play 'Kalluriutti' (कल्लुरुट्टी) by Sopanam Rang Samooh

Still from the Sanskrit play 'Pratima' (प्रतिमा) by Sopanam Rang Samooh

Still from the Malayalam play 'Bhagawatjugiyam' (भगवतजुगियम्) by Sopanam Rang Samooh

It's a new beginning!

It's a new year! It's a new beginning!
New years come and passes, and turns into old years. What is new in that? It's just that we consider that this year we will do something new, do something we haven't done, something that we wanted to do last year but couldn't. It's a flow of positive energy that, at least for a month or so, makes us think of our wishes, passions, priorities and plans.
Why for a month or so, why not for the whole year? Well now that depends on your sincerity for your own interests. So this time, I wish to resume this blog and continue writing. After a year too busy in settling myself I just forgot about writing the blog and now I realize that i should often do it!
This is a call for myself and for the people who like reading that now we will explore something into arts, travelling, people, conversations and stories! We might not be perfect in it but we will try to put our opinion of how world looks like from our two pretty eyes!
Till the next post..Cheers!!