Natak Jari Hai (The Play Goes On)
is a beautiful documentary by local film-maker Lalith Vachani about the very inspiring work of Jana Natya Manch (or JANAM for short). Janam are a progressive street theatre group based in Delhi, that tour working class localities attempting to raise social consciousness through theatre (for a recent Frontline review, click here).
The movie opens with a scence from an early Janam play called "Machine" starkly depicting the life of a worker as a cog in the great capitalist machine. This scene is shot in black and white, a really nice touch that emphasises the starkness of the worker's life.. But, style apart - half of this movie is about the message, and the medium. Janam actors are a diverse bunch, that come from different backgrounds, different political ideologies, but their commitment to their cause is inspiring. They all have full-time day jobs, rehearse in the evenings, and perform on weekends. It's truly theatre of the people, as they take their shows to the dis-empowered, attempting to raise awareness of gender and class discrimination, workers rights etc. Knowledge is power, so I think most importantly that their work is about empowering the common hard-working folk.
Janam's co-founder Safdar Hashmi was killed by Congress party goons some 15 years ago now, essentially because he asked a party rally be re-routed around a Janam performance. His wife continues his legacy, and in some perverted sense his death - tragic as it was, has helped Janam's cause, as it has made people that much more sympathetic to it. The cynic in me thinks every cause seems to need a martyr to really get people involved.. Cynical asides apart, the commitment of those actors to education and empowerment cannot be lauded enough...
On a more personal note, took a Southwest Airlines flight here to see my sister, it's an egalitarian sort of way to fly - really fits the mood.. :-)
The movie opens with a scence from an early Janam play called "Machine" starkly depicting the life of a worker as a cog in the great capitalist machine. This scene is shot in black and white, a really nice touch that emphasises the starkness of the worker's life.. But, style apart - half of this movie is about the message, and the medium. Janam actors are a diverse bunch, that come from different backgrounds, different political ideologies, but their commitment to their cause is inspiring. They all have full-time day jobs, rehearse in the evenings, and perform on weekends. It's truly theatre of the people, as they take their shows to the dis-empowered, attempting to raise awareness of gender and class discrimination, workers rights etc. Knowledge is power, so I think most importantly that their work is about empowering the common hard-working folk.
Janam's co-founder Safdar Hashmi was killed by Congress party goons some 15 years ago now, essentially because he asked a party rally be re-routed around a Janam performance. His wife continues his legacy, and in some perverted sense his death - tragic as it was, has helped Janam's cause, as it has made people that much more sympathetic to it. The cynic in me thinks every cause seems to need a martyr to really get people involved.. Cynical asides apart, the commitment of those actors to education and empowerment cannot be lauded enough...
On a more personal note, took a Southwest Airlines flight here to see my sister, it's an egalitarian sort of way to fly - really fits the mood.. :-)