JAMMU: Renowned as an Indian theatre personality, scholar, and the pioneer of Dogri theatre on the international stage, Balwant Thakur, the Theatre Director and Founder of Natrang Jammu, has raised concerns about the growing lack of interest in local languages and cultures. He emphasizes that this apathy poses the most significant threat of the times, particularly evident in places like Jammu & Kashmir, where people are shying away from embracing their own cultural heritage.
During an exclusive online interview by Ajmer Alam Wani, Editor-in-Chief of JK Monitor (www.jkmonitor.org), in the depths of Thakur's heart, a clarion call resounds, urging widespread awareness to protect identities unbound, His soul ablaze with passion, a mission he has found, for cultural wisdom's preservation, a revolution profound, leading a noble movement, a legacy on sacred ground.
Thakur said that there is an urgent need for widespread awareness to prevent the erosion of regional identities and the destruction of priceless cultural wisdom. He is leading a personal mission to create a public movement towards this cause, believing it to be a necessary revolution.
Transforming Theatre Professionally in Jammu: Balwant Thakur points out that theatre was never handled professionally in Jammu until Natrang came into the picture. With a collective vision for the institution, Natrang's farsightedness and professional approach established it as a national brand in the world of theatre. However, he expresses concern over the lack of seriousness and commitment in the field and stresses that theatre demands extraordinary effort, not daydreaming. Thakur encourages everyone, even those not interested in acting, to be a part of theatre and witness the magical transformations it can bring about in individuals, societies, and nations.
Theatre as a Tool for Social Change: For Thakur, theatre is the most effective tool for social change. He firmly believes in its power to engage audiences intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. He advocates using this power for the greater public welfare, and Natrang has been at the forefront of socially relevant theatre, addressing issues of public interest through their performances.
Reviving Folk Traditions and Transforming Lives: Thakur emphasizes the need to change perceptions and approaches towards folk traditions, especially in a rapidly changing world. He himself has given new life to traditional performing modes, making them more relevant to contemporary times. Natrang has been dedicated to popularizing theatre in the region and has witnessed remarkable success in transforming young aspirants into top professionals, even outside the realm of acting and directing. Many individuals who underwent Natrang's training have excelled in various fields, including cracking civil services and becoming leading stars in Indian TV and cinema.
Fostering Research and Documentation: Since its inception, Natrang has focused on research and documentation, with over 10 artists winning national research scholarships. As a cultural institution, Natrang recognizes its responsibility to preserve traditional performing arts by conducting thorough scholarship and interpretation and documenting them for future generations. The Natrang Resource Centre boasts the largest collection of research and documentation on traditional performing arts of the region.
Balwant Thakur's dedication to preserving regional identities, promoting cultural awareness, and using theatre for social change has made him an influential figure in the world of Indian theatre. His efforts with Natrang have not only enriched the performing arts but also contributed to the personal and professional growth of countless individuals.
For the complete interview, read questions and their answers below:-
1. As an acclaimed theatre personality and scholar, you have made significant contributions to bringing Dogri theatre to international notice. Could you share with us the challenges you faced in promoting a regional form of theatre on a global platform?
Ans: Challenges have been immense. I have always been looking for challenges in life. Found this very interesting and exciting being a creative person. Fact remains that Jammu theatre had no identity and found it interesting to work for it. Perhaps mine was the pioneering effort aimed at looking for an identity of Dogri theatre. In the absence of any living tradition of Dogri theatre, I was left with no other option other than to look for other performative expressions of music, dance and narrative traditions which I incorporated together to give birth to the identity of Dogri Theatre. Fortunately this worked and got a new recognition at the national and international level.
2. Your journey as a theatre director and founder of Natrang Jammu has been highly successful. Can you shed light on the inception of Natrang and its evolution over the years, highlighting the key milestones that shaped its growth?
Ans: Prior to the inception of Natrang, I was totally devoted to promoting the campus theatre of University of Jammu. But a stage came when I found that there is too much interference thus hampering my creativity. To seek freedom from campus politics, I with the help of my colleagues started Natrang within the campus in the year 1983. Fact remains that at that point of time and even today theatre was never handled professionally in Jammu. On the contrary, we at Natrang worked immensely in formulating a collective vision for the institution. Our farsightedness and total professional handling established Natrang as a brand nationally. Rest is history.
3. Dogri theatre, under your guidance, has gained recognition and appreciation. How have you managed to preserve the essence of Dogri culture while adapting it to contemporary themes and styles?
Ans: We need to change our perception and approaches when it comes to the understanding of our folk traditions. We are living in a rapidly changing world. When everything is changing, we are also required to give our traditional performing modes a new lease of life in the larger interest of making them more relevant to our times. I also did the same and the result was before everyone.
4. As a Padma Shri awardee, you have received one of the highest civilian honors in India. How has this recognition influenced your work, and what responsibilities do you feel come with such prestigious recognition?
Ans: Awards are important. It's very easy to attain but difficult to maintain. Awards make you more responsible. With recognitions like Padam Shree, people have higher expectations from you, you have a larger responsibility to come upto the expectations of the people. This pressure always keeps you on toes thus striving to scale new heights and explore the ultimate.
5. Being a scholar and practitioner of theatre, you possess a deep understanding of its history and traditions. How have you incorporated traditional elements and techniques in your productions to maintain a connection with the rich theatrical heritage of India?
Ans: See, my theatre is rooted in the soil of Indian culture and traditions so the question of maintaining connection never arises. In fact I have always been seeking to incorporate new innovative elements in my theatre to make it more vibrant and relevant to the times.
6. Natrang Jammu has been instrumental in nurturing young talent and providing them with a platform to showcase their skills. Could you elaborate on your approach to mentorship and the initiatives undertaken by Natrang to encourage aspiring theatre artists?
Ans: Natrang in the last 40 years have been striving to popularise theatre in the region. We never go to young aspirants of theatre asking them to become actors. Theatre is much beyond making actors and directors. Fact remains that theatre is one of the most powerful instrument of personality transformation. We have a long list of boys and girls who came to us to become actors but ended up becoming top professionals and even cracked civil services. This speaks volumes about Natrang's training modules. 1000s of youngsters have been trained by Natrang and today they are not only the leading stars of Indian TV or Cinema but they have excelled in every other field as well. That's why our training programmes are very popular and are in huge demand.
7. Your work has not only been confined to theatre productions but has also involved extensive research and documentation. How has this research-oriented approach contributed to the overall growth and development of Dogri theatre, and what benefits does it offer to the larger theatrical community?
Ans: Since the beginning we have focussed on research and documentation. Over 10 artists of Natrang have the distinction of having won national research scholarships. We also believe in the fact that being a cultural institution, we also have the responsibility to have through scholarship and interpretation of our traditional performing modes and also the responsibility to document them for posterity. We also take pride in the fact that as of now we have the largest collection of research and documentation of traditional performing arts of the region in our Natrang Resource Centre.
8. In today's digital age, where entertainment is largely consumed through screens, how do you see the future of live theatre, and what steps have you taken to adapt to the changing dynamics of the audience's preferences.
Ans: This is just a phase. Theatre has a living history of thousands of years. It lived through all the phases and is still surviving. For this we need to take examples of the established international theatre centres of the US and Europe. Despite the boom of alternative mediums, you still have to struggle to seek seats in theatre after paying hefty amounts. Theatre has lived and will live, provided we keep striving to raise it's professional standards.
9. As an influential figure in the Indian theatre scene, what do you believe are the biggest challenges faced by regional theatre groups in India, and what measures can be taken to overcome these challenges?
Ans: Growing lack of interest in the local languages and culture is the biggest threat of the times. Take example of Jammu & Kashmir, people shy away in speaking and adapting their own culture. We need more and more awareness and people are to be told that they are losing their regional identities in the process. They are destroying their own priceless cultural wisdom. There has to be a public movement, I am trying in my own way but it requires a big revolution.
10. You have been associated with numerous projects that aim to promote cultural exchange through theatre. Can you share some of your experiences in collaborating with international theatre groups and how such collaborations have enriched your artistic journey?
Ans: When it comes to sharing the experience of my international journeys. It requires a huge book and I am working on that. Two lines will not suffice to sumeup my experience of international travel, exchanges and interactions. Fact remains that it influenced me greatly and the more I travelled internationally, the more I started loving and appreciating my own traditions.
11. Your expertise extends beyond directing and acting, as you have also contributed significantly as a playwright. What inspired you to explore playwriting, and how does this aspect of your creative work complement your role as a theatre director?
Ans: It's a long story. Necessity is the mother of invention. In the absence of good regional plays, I started writing for theatre. It has been a huge challenge but slowly, I started having hold over writing. Prior to that I have been writing short stories and poetry. It's all about storytelling and I loved writing for my own theatre.
12. Through out your career, you have successfully balanced your artistic pursuits with your role as a scholar and educator. How do you find a synergy between these different aspects of your work, and how do they mutually reinforce each other?
Ans: Being a theatre director you are required to seek versatility, multitasking mastery. In pursuance of that I keep finding outlets to utilise my creativity. Though I tried multiple ways but focus always remained the theatre. Be it making of it or educating others about its various factors.
13. As a Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, you have been recognized for your exceptional contributions to Indian theatre. What impact do you hope to have on the future generations of theatre practitioners, and what legacy would you like to leave behind?
Ans: Award or no award. I have committed myself to popularise the practice of theatre. I am of the firm belief that it has the immense potential of shaping generations. Today we are talking of India leading the world being the most populous country. To seek this position, we need to strengthen our human resource and theatre can do wonders in achieving that.
14. The themes and narratives explored in your productions often reflect social and cultural issues. How do you use theatre as a tool for social commentary, and what role do you believe theatre plays in driving societal change?
Ans: Theatre is the most effective tool of social change. I believe in that fact that it has the power to engage its audience intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. Why not use this power for the larger public welfare. We have been engaged doing theatre by showcasing issues of public interest and will continue to do so. We are into the practice of highly socially relevant theatre.
15. Looking back at your illustrious career, what advice would you give to aspiring theatre artists who are looking to make a mark in the industry and create meaningful work?
Ans: We lack seriousness and commitment. Theatre is an extraordinary activity so demands extraordinary effort. Day dreaming will not do. We need a focussed effort. Even if you don't want to be an actor, be a part of it and see the magical change yourself. After having given over 42 years to the field, I can say with authority that this amazing art has everything which can not only transform an individual but can shape up societies, nations and the globe.
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