Ek Aur Balcony @ IIMA
Dear Budhan Theatre Friends,
Recently, on 22nd Jan, Budhan Theatre performed in Ravi Muthai Auditorium at IIMA. I would like to share with you that around one month backs, 25 students including Prof. Navdeep Mathur of IIMA visited chharanagar to study the society and stigma. Budhan Theatre warmly welcomed them and gave understanding that how community is being historically stigmatized and what kind of problems facing by the legal and judiciary system. They met to the people of chharanagar and also watched a street play Budhan Bolta Hai in Navkholi area of Chharanagar.
(I should mention that a boy Jayesh who was performing Deepak Pawar’s character injured by the glass bottle during the performance but he not stopped to perform, he was bleeding but the performance was going on…I don’t know why?)
After the visit, as I discussed with the student the output of the visit and one of them told that ‘we were aware about the crime but here we first come to know that how crime is state sponsored’.
After few days I received a call from Prof. Mathur and he invited to us to perform in IIMA during the training programme of middle to IAS officers. As we always are ready for performance, we accepted this invitation and decided to perform plays Budhan Bolta Hai and Ek Aur Balcony.
On 22nd evening, we performed both plays. Prof. Navdeep Mathur introduced the back ground of community and Budhan Theatre. After performance we received tremendous response from the audience. We had a very discussion about the Chharas and DNTs with most high profile officers and policy makers of India. We said that
‘Theatre give is acceptance and become bridge between our stigmatized community and rest worlds’
More then 100 people watched both plays including Director of Institute Dr. Samir Barua and Dr. T. Kumar, IAS (Principal Secretary to Honorable Speaker, Lok Sabha).
Ek Aur Balcony, a political play widely appreciated and criticized.
Photos of ‘Ek Aur Balcony’ performance @ H K Hall, Ahmedabad
Budhan Theatre celebrated its tenth year of practicing theatre in a stigmatized community. On this special event we performed Ek Aur Balcony play at H K Collage Auditorium. More then 700 people witnessed this memorable evening and performance. To see the huge audiance when curtain opened, we motivated for further theatre journey. Many reknown people from media, judiciery, theatre, films watched the performance. It is a sign of acceptance chhars by rest of world.
About Play
Ek Aur Balcony is an adaptation of The Balcony (Le Balcon) a 1956 play by Jean Genet. Our play deals with the fundamental elements of contemporary democracy: police, politics and the judicial system. In Budhan Theatre’s version, The Balcony is a place where those responsible for injustice and riots are forced to experience the pain of their victims, while those without anything grow humongous by eating up the world. The play, followed by playwright Jean Genet’s soliloquy, leads takes us through fantasy and reality in order to reveal the power of the people in democratic society.
Maninagar DNT Basti matter now in Suprem Court of India
Dear friends, Apart of Theatre activity, since many years Budhan Theater is struggling for the Housing Rights for DNTs who lived in Maninagar area of Ahmedabad City. In Oct. 2008 we filed a petition in honorable Gujarat High Court and court continues ‘Stay’ against demolition. Before that almost 10 – 12 times Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation demolished this Basti and due to that many children and old aged people died.
But on 16th Dec. 2008, Gujarat High court dismissed the petition and then with the help of Dr. Devy and Adv. Megha Jani, we challenged in Supreme Court of India. Supreme Court of India also granted Stay till next hearing. We will continue post the development in this case.
PHOTOS OF ‘BUDHAN BOLTA HAI’ PLAY AT CROSSWORD
Budhan Theatre invited by Crossword to perform its play Budhan Bolta Hai on 28th Dec during the Christmas Eva. The aim to organize such theatre even to start cultural interaction between chhara and mainstream kids. More then 100 people witnessed this memorable performance. It is stunning performance and some of people in audience had tears in their eyes. After performance there was good discussion with audience about the plight of DNTs in India. In the audiance, almost people did not know about the ‘Black History’ of DNTs and they seem committed to see Chharas and DNTs respectfully.
Theatre helped to us for the acceptance and this will bring change.
PHOTOS OF ‘BUDHAN BOLTA HAI’ PERFORMANCE @ CITY COLLAGE
City Collage of Ahmedabad, invited to Budhan Theatre Group to perform play ‘Budhan Bolta Hai’ on 30th Dec. 2008. 20 Budhan Theatre kids perfoemd and lamost 500 students witnessed this performance. After it was very good discussion about the CHhara people and DNTs to treat them as normal human being not ‘criminals’. Now next generation is ready to take forward Theatre Journey towards change.
