Ghazab Teri Adaa by the NSD Repertoire was a modern take on Aristophanes’ war play lysistrata. Director Waman Kendre tells UK Banerjee that the language of the play is guided by gender
lysistrata, the famous anti-war play, was penned by Aristophanes, who belonged to the band of celebrity dramatists — comprising Eurypidice, Aeschylus and Sophocles of ancient Greece. Incidentally, the years were the 5th century BC, considered the “golden century” of that country, with the presence of a galaxy of luminaries — philosophers, theosophists, physicians and performing artistes — who blazed the trail of European civilisation for the millennia to come.
In the play, lysistrata is a strong Athenian woman with a great sense of individual responsibility, who plans to end the interminable wars between Athens and Sparta. By convening a mammoth meeting of women from various cities, she urges them to withhold conjugal privileges from their menfolk as a means of forcing them to abjure wars. Although initially doubtful, the women — including those from Sparta — agree to desist from sexual pleasures, including even specific postures.
On another front, a conclave of older women seizes control of Acropolis, which houses the treasury for funding the wars. When a chorus of bumbling older men seeks to burn down the barricade-gates, they are successfully resisted by the older women. How the latter’s young comrades withstand a magisterial enquiry, how lysistrata restores order after the fracas and how eventually the womenfolk wins the day is the rest of the story.
Ghazab Teri Adaa, recently presented by the NSD Repertory on behalf of the DIAF Festival, was a more serious play inspired by Aristophanes’ bawdy comedy lysistrata. Ably scripted and directed by professor Waman Kendre, NSD’s present director, the theme appeared to be a much shorter version of the original Greek story and far more focussed on its central tenet, namely, the sexual rebellion versus the war-mongering of the authorities.
The NSD play pitted a vainglorious king and his chief minister against their highly disciplined soldiers — always raring to go to the next war. When the king’s 100th war revealed untold agony of the captured nation’s female progeny, the women folk revolted in this victorious land: raising their total embargo on sex in the marital bed or even outside, with pleasure-women. Thereafter, the play had only a single agenda and often palled in the absence of variety of events, as were present in Aristophanes. On the other hand, its contemporary nuances were evident in the video imagery of modern wars and their aftermath. The acting talents were of a high order — in sticking to a mock-heroic style. Excerpts from interaction with the director:
On script
While I was studying in the NSD, I read Aristophanes’ lysistrata, in which the unusual idea of women in opposition of the war occurs, left a great impact on me. The thought of doing this play in the last 32 years came across my mind many a time, but it remained an aspiration.
On the central motif
The central idea of my play is the revolt of the women folk against the king’s ambition of ruling the world and emerging as a supreme power. The action of my play takes place in imaginary time and space, which revolves around the never-ending aspiration for the expansion of the kingdom. This results in constant fights on the battlefield.
On stylisation
In theatre productions, stylisation is usually confined to folk or traditional art forms. Of late, there has been a decline in such productions. I sincerely believe that the structure, form, device and philosophy should be indigenous and have a native connect. Be it a text, image, word, sound or rhythm — their perception solely depends on you. Stylisation is prevalent in our country in all art forms. It’s the soul of our cultural expression. We should rather re-interpret, re-define with the usage of new technique; we should re-energise and make it a medium of strong expression. I’ve attempted to do it.
On dialogue
My form of dialogue is not poetry, yet it’s lyrical as this play is a stylised one and not a realist play. The creative process of the play incited me towards a new theatrical language. My lingo is guided by gender. In various rural dialects, Indian women often speak like men, because there is no room for women in the language. Especially in the plural construct, the language remains masculine!
On general relevance
In the last two decades, the sorts of reasons in the name of wars have always hinted at a policy in which the reasons were formulated to surround and destroy the target completely. For that matter, in the wars of Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Sri lanka, or the wars between North and South Korea, or within Germany, there has been a reflection of the direct involvement of the world powers. Though we were not affected directly, this sort of insensitivity saddened me. The thought of doing this play re-occurred in my mind.
On immediate relevance
This year has marked the centenary of the First World War. My play’s a tribute to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives and also in the memory of civilians who became victim of that destruction.