Invitation to watch play Accidental Death of an Anarchist – By Budhan Theatre
Dear Budhan Theatre Freinds,
You are cordially invited to watch opening performance of renowned play ‘Accidental death of an Anarchist’ Written by Daria Fo, Italian Playwrite and Nobel Prize Laureate. Produced by Budhan Theatre and Directed by Dakxin Chhara-Bajrange. Please mark your calender. Sunday, the 13th September 4, 2009 from 7.30 to 9.00 PM. Gates will close at 7.20 PM. Please take your seat before 7.20 PM.
Venue:
L & P Hutheesingh Visual Arts centre, CEPT University, K. L. Campus, Gujarat University Road, Ahmedabad 380 009
About Play:
Dario Fo’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist (1970) responds to events unfolding in Italy in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Generally, it looks at police corruption and suspicions regarding the government’s collusion in this corruption. More specifically, it addresses the actual death of an anarchist who was being held in police custody following the bombing of a Milan bank that killed sixteen people and wounded about ninety. The police asserted that the anarchist’s death was a suicide, that the man threw himself from a fourth-floor window in despair at being found out for his crime. At the subsequent inquest, the presiding judge declared the death not a suicide but an accident. Most Italians believed that the death was the result of overly harsh interrogation techniques, if not a case of outright murder on the part of the interrogators.
Accidental Death of an Anarchist is mainly about police corruption, underscored by the play’s focus on impersonation, infiltration, and double-talk. A fast-talking major character, the Maniac, infiltrates a police headquarters. Posing as an investigating judge, he tricks the policemen into contradicting themselves and admitting that they are part of a cover-up involving the death of an anarchist. In infiltrating police headquarters by misrepresenting himself (impersonation), the Maniac reminds audiences of how most political groups in Italy, particularly left-wing groups, were infiltrated by police agents who acted as informers. The Maniac’s flip-flop of point of view and statement achieves much the same effect as his impersonations do. His confusing speechifying leads to the police contradicting themselves, so that the Maniac, in all of his deceptions and distortions, is a precise reflection of what the play is designed to expose.
Accidental Death of an Anarchist is one of Fo’s most popular plays both within and outside Italy. It has played around the world over the years to millions of people, a popular choice of directors who want to point to corruption in their midst.
Budhan Theatre, Chharanagar is committed to empowering the marginalized and bringing dignity and respect to the stigmatized sections of the society. Budhan Theatre has been active since 1998.
PLAYS IN CHHARANAGAR…OPEN AN DIALOG
Dear Friends,
Recently, Budhan Theatre performed Ek Aur Balcony and Budhan Bolta Hai plays in Chharanagar in an experimental way. We tried to go beyond Time and Space. We performed in space where people use to have a bath. It was evening time and to gather audience we performed Budhan Bolta Hai and after few minutes more than 300 people gathered. After that we performed Ek Aur Balcony in a proscenium style to use space as a stage.
It was good experience and encounter with the Theatre Art for Chhara People and kids. The play speaks about the problems of oppressed people and these people discussed about the police atrocity, present political arena and constitutional guarantee to citizen of India.
Theatre begin a thought process…then dialog…awareness…acceptance….livelihood and then life with dignity.
More plays are coming….
AN ART WORKSHOP @ BUDHAN THEATRE
Budhan Theatre conducted An Art Workshop from 24th to 26th May at Mahaveer Kasarat Shala, Nr. Chharanagar, Ahmedabad. 120 children participated in the workshop. The workshop conducted by Sameer Mahurkar (Painting), Kunal Tamaich (Western Dance), Theatre (Jeetu, Aatish and Ankur), Mahendi (Neelam Tamaichi).
Have a tour of workshop…watch the stills…
Kankariya Lake Agitation – Street Play “Taras Tagi Chhe Taras”
Dear Friends,
Our home town, Ahmedabad, is beautifying by Government. Entire city is dig up to construct roads, bridges, gardens etc. You can see many bridges and new roads in the name of Development. When Bollywood star Jitendra visited city, he said ‘Wow! I can’t believe this is Ahmedabad city! He shined to see shined city. But no one could see that how many people died, displaced, migrated and victimized of this concrete development. The Other side of this Vibrant Shine is full of darkness.
Kankariya Lake, one of most beautiful site of my city where many people earned their livelihood by their petty business like ballonwala, Pakodiwala, Bhel or Sandwichwala…But now there is no one around the lake because entire lake is ‘Behind The Bar’ in the name of development. Once upon a time when people can see the lake just to pass around it, that sight is now ticketed@Rs10. The public place where anybody could come is now behind the huge wall and the lake is missing its common class people who made it alive.
Ticketing of the public lake is a business policy of government and due to that the worst affected class is poor class who could not see his or her public place until he or she not pay Rs. 10 per person.
Budhan Theatre in association with Fade in Theatre is performing a street play “Taras Lagi Chhe Taras” in the various part of Ahmedabad city, especially sorrounding areas of Kankariya Lake to protest the ticketing of public lake. As both groups are being a ‘Voice’ of oppressed people, we are trying to mobilize as many people and on 25th April we will enter in the lake without tickets and break the ticket policy on non violent way.
Let’s be a ‘Voice’ of ‘Unheard Voices’.
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.
DNA Newpaper (Ahmedabad) Media Coverage
Full Story can be found at
http://epaper.dnaindia.com/epapermain.aspx?edorsup=Sup&queryed=5&querypage=4&boxid=29041020&parentid=24583&eddate=12/29/2008
budhan’s kids teach through play-way
children of chhara tribe stage a play budhan bolta hai
DNA Correspondent
ahmedabad-based theatre group, the budhan theatre, has helped clean the image of the chhara tribe, a de-notified tribe of gujarat, over the years. budhan theatre, under the guidance of kalpana gagdekar, one of its founder members, has recently completed 10 years of existence. it has performed many street theatres as well as proscenium performances.
the children of chharanagar, who were once derided as criminals, staged budhan bolta hai, a play that is completely their creation, at crosswords on sunday. the play was not only written and directed by them, but the young brigade also scored the music for the play.
budhan bolta hai is actually a compilation of three full-fledged plays – budhan, encounter and bulldozer – and draws our attention towards issues like police atrocities, false prosecution and mob lynching.
the play is about budhan sabar, a tribal living in kolkata, west bengal, who is falsely accused and imprisoned. he later dies in the purulia jail and the medical report raises suspicion over the cause of his death. the incident is enacted in an excellent manner with the help of minimum props. nandini indrekar, who plays the character of shyamali sabar, wife of budhan, moves audiences to tears with her stupendous enactment of a widow bewailing over her husband’s dead body.
the true story of deepak pawar, is the basis for the mob lynching topic. pawar was incidentally forced to become a police informer in order to continue with his illegal business of brewing country liquor. pawar was beaten up by other people when his identity as a police informer got revealed, but was eventually killed in a fake encounter.
finally, the story of a mother, whose child dies from cold after their house was encroached, was the real centerpiece of the three-fold play. it revolved around a true incident of the rajbhoi family who lived near the indian institute of management, ahmedabad. added to the powerful and moving real-life stories were poems by revolutionary poets like pash and dhumil which added flavour to the play, that were mostly recited in groups. the play raises many a question in the audiences’ minds about several issues such as whether the indian society has any responsibility towards its population of eight crores etc.
in a recent one-act play competition organised by darpana academy, budhan bolta hai also bagged the best actress and best actor awards.