15th Bharangam Diary: notes, rants and experiences

DAY 14: 18th Jan 2013 The Colonial, the Convict & the Cockatoo Script & Direction: Arjun Raina A very intensely researched production always holds its own when it comes to what it wants to say, and where it is headed. This play was as much a crash course on Aboriginal histories with regards to colonialism...

15th Bharangam Diary: notes, rants and experiences

DAY 12: 16th Jan 2013   Inspired by Blindness Based on: Blindness by Jose Saramago Adaptation & Direction: Sathya Bhama (Individual production) The novel has an apocalyptic plot where an epidemic of blindness has spread throughout and is a perfect metaphor for the degradation of society while seemingly evolving. This production was a solo performance...

15th Bharangam Diary: notes, rants and experiences

DAY 11: 15th Jan 2013 Subtitles are a must for non-English productions. Even Hindi plays must come with subtitles to aid people who do not know the language. There are many foreign participants at the festival to merit this. And if at all subtitles are not present for whatever reason, it should be clearly mentioned...

15th Bharangam Diary: notes, rants and experiences

DAY 10: 14th Jan 2013 The Pakistanis are coming! And they have Manto on their mind. The last leg of Bharangam is looking bright with anticipation and plays like Mantorama, Dafa 292 and Kaun Hai Ye Gustakh will be staged. Hopefully we can learn a few new details about the greatest short story writer ever,...

15th Bharangam Diary: notes, rants and experiences

DAY 9: 13th Jan 2013 A very promising day was on offer with Badal Sircar and Shakespeare at the helm. And to top that, the extra tickets we had because of a certain someone who chooses only the best-play-days to remain absent, were sold even before we reached the auditorium. People love watching Hindi plays...

15th Bharangam Diary: notes, rants and experiences

DAY 7: 11th Jan 2013 9 Days Newspaper Concept & Direction: Joy Maisnam (Treasure Art Association, Imphal) A very well-conceived script from the actual news items published in 9 consecutive days in a newspaper. This play was a mix of strong content and improvised stageplay. The performances were not up to the mark but all...

15th Bharangam Diary: notes, rants and experiences

DAY 6: 10th Jan 2013 Fatigue. Watching back to back performances, few good, many poor, is an arduous task. The brain freezes with overwhelmed sensations. I hate getting up in the middle of a play/film, no matter how bad it is. But in a festival like this, you just cannot help the urge. Metamorphoses Based...

15th Bharangam Diary: notes, rants and experiences

DAY 4: 8th Jan 2013 Conversations at the food hub never seem to take a constructive turn. There is talk about politics but like a performance piece, abridged and censored. There is talk about the art but that entails a lot of ego. So, essentially, what you do is eat and drink, and wait for...

15th Bharangam Diary: notes, rants and experiences

DAY 3: 7th Jan 2013 Mohandas Script: Uday Prakash Director: Rajinder Nath (Theatre Repertory Company, Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts, Delhi) The question of identity is a many layered puzzle that baffles a human soul everywhere on this earth. How does one define oneself? A lower class kabirpanthi? A B.A pass graduate? A son?...

15th Bharangam Diary: notes, rants and experiences

DAY 2: 6th Jan 2013 The food hub is up and running with its usual fair of biryani, tikkas, momos, litti, chai and jalebi. With the extreme Delhi chill, the coals are also burning with gusto, giving warmth to the freezing hands of the audiences. NSD must experiment a bit more with the setting and...