Budhan Theatre: Towards Change

Budhan Theatre is a tradition, transformation, weapon of non violent
protest and a medium of development which began in 1998, in
Chharanagar, Ahmedabad

Dakxin Bajrange (Chhara)

What is Budhan Theatre (BT)? Is it a concrete structure or auditorium?
Does it perform conventional plays? If not, what kind of plays? Who
are its performers? Why have they been performing without any support
for the last ten years? Let's examine this 'culture' which has changed
the identity and lives of a severely stigmatised group.

Budhan Theatre is a tradition, culture, transformation, weapon of non
violent protest and a medium of development which began in 1998, in
the infamous area known as Chharanagar in Ahmedabad. People consider
this area a ghetto of 'thieves' and bootleggers. We are forever
suspects in the eyes of the law.

Mahasveta Devi writes in "Birth 1871", the British tagged millions of
people in India 'Born Criminals' and created the 'Criminal Tribes Act
- 1871'. An inhuman act, it branded 192 tribal groups 'Born Criminals'
and made life hell for these communities. It put them into different
settlements (so-called Rehabilitation Camps) and restricted the
movements of those who were traditionally nomads and performers. The
Act was repealed in 1952, but the stigma remains. The Chharas are one
of the communities to be branded criminals by the colonial rulers.

In the 80s, theatre director Prem Prakash was putting up a play,
Spartacus, and he wanted 'slaves' for this play. He could not find
them in his Sindhi actors. He came to Chharanagar and found several.
Our father's generation performed this play at the Visual Arts Centre
and it became a landmark in the history of theatre in Gujarat. Then,
for some time, theatre was rampant amongst the Chhara youth. In 1998,
with the help of Ganesh Devy and Mahasveta Devi, the journey into
theatre started again, and we performed a play, Budhan, based on the
death of Budhan Sabar in police custody, in West Bengal's Purulia
district. We performed over 300 shows of this play in schools,
colleges, institutes, seminars and festivals.

To date, BT has made and performed 21 plays, 8 of which have been
performed by Chhara children. They have learnt to express themselves
through theatre art and have developed a theatre with no boundaries.
They write, direct and act in plays. But to practice theatre being a
Chhara is still difficult. There are around 50-55 theatre artists and
of them 35-40 are children. Some of these performers, or their
parents, have been in jail, some due to false cases - a regular
practice by police when it comes to all denotified (DNT) communities.

Theatrics were used by our forefathers for thieving. It was Invisible
theatre. This art was in our genes. We used it for social change and
community development. As a result of theatre, for the last eight
years, BT has become the first theatre group to produce two National
School of Drama (NSD) Graduates in Gujarat; with some of our actors
winning 'Best Actor Awards' in state level drama competitions.

BT develops its own theatrical style in the field of existing
performance theories. By practicing in Budhan Theatre, I can see the
transformation of performers, the community at large. From being a
place where people did not want to come, Chharanagar is now viewed as
a centre for theatrical activity.

In fact, Budhan Theatre is reviving the traditional art of the Chharas
in a positive manner for social change and community development. It
is being developed as a potential cultural platform to raise voices of
denotified tribes against all odds and atrocities. Through theatre, we
are trying to sensitise mainstream society for social acceptance, and
the system, for our fundamental and human rights.

Apart from Chharanagar, Budhan Theatre has developed seven theatre
groups, given theatre training and prepared 219 male and female
actors, writers and directors in Gujarat, who are practicing 'BT style
Protest Theatre' in their areas.

Budhan Theatre also started its film wing in 2004, with a documentary
titled 'Fight for Survival'. It won the 'Best South Asia Documentary
Film' award, and is based on a snake-charmer's livelihood issues.

I want to share an incident with you.

A BT actor named Sandeep was sent to jail by the police under a false
case. He spent two months in jail and applied for 'parole' to give his
University exams. This was granted by the court and he appeared for
his examinations. He had to go back to jail on Feb 28, 2006. On the
26th we were preparing to perform a play at the Kaleshwari Mela. He
came to me and said, "Dakxin bhai, before I go to jail, I want to
perform a play." I replied that he couldn't. He hadn't rehearsed and
it was a new play. I advised him to spend his time with his family
instead. He requested me to let him perform saying, "I will improvise
upon my character."

I agreed.

He performed spontaneously. The DNT commission was present at this
performance. Along with the other actors, he delivered his life's most
stirring performances.

That is our life. I never write a play first and then perform it. I
always first improvise a play, then perform it and finally write it.
It helps to involve all the actors in the concerned issue and try to
make the 'most realistic' plays which hearken 'life' - not the
imagination. Budhan Theatre is struggling to make Chharanagar another
Hegguddu. Together, let's work towards change�

(Visit www.budhantheatre.org to know more about Budhan Theatre.

The writer is an award-winning filmmaker, playwright, actor, director
and activist from the Chhara community of Ahmedabad. He is the one of
the founders of the Budhan Theatre Group)