As the Polish play Sonka embroils itself in a sea of controversy owing to a few seconds of nudity, theatre thespians and directors tell Shrabasti Mallik that unless the mentality of the audience changes, they will not be able to accept nudity as a natural process
Theatre is supposed to be a platform for free thinkers — for people who dare to cross boundaries and explore not only different characters and literary texts but also bolder subjects. Subjects either pertaining to current socio-political issues or those of the past. So when acclaimed Aleksander Wegierko Drama Theatre from Poland decided to stage the play Sonka in Bhubaneshwar, it drew flak from not only the audience but also the state’s cultural minister for a brief nude scene in the narrative.
The scene, which did not exceed a few split seconds, was imperative to the play because it was based was on the torture inflicted on a Polish woman by Nazi soldiers during World War II. Following protests in Bhubaneshwar by the culture minister and audience, the staging of the play at the Kamani Auditorium was cancelled. But theatre thespian and NSD chairman Ratan Thiyam has given a green signal to stage the play in the Capital after making sure that the brief nude scene has been removed from the 110-minute play.
Why is it that, even today, when we claim to be more advanced and intelligent than ever, we sneer at anything and everything remotely nudeIJ Even if the narrative of a play demands a character to drop their clothes, we always look at it as an act of titillation or sensationalism. Very few of us see it in the light of the context that it is performed in.
In view of the same, we spoke to a few theatre thespians, dramatists, playwrights and theatre directors on whether they think that nudity detracts from creativity.
Manav Kaul
(playwright and director)
We are a land of intelligent and mature people and who are we to decide whether nudity should be allowed or notIJ To show or not to show skin is the absolute freedom of the artiste and I do not believe any censorship is necessary. If a play has a bold content, it should be put out as an adult play. I mean, we have temples with nude structures engraved over it. Do we stop visiting themIJ Do we censor anything thereIJ No. Because here, everyone understands everything. It is up to you to decide what you want to see.
Abhilash Pillai
(director and NSD faculty)
If the script demands nudity, then the director and the creative should have the liberty to portray it. Nudity is important for the sake of nudity, and not for titillating the audience. Indian culture is open to such interpretations but we are just not ready to standardise nudity. We need to realise when and where it is necessary. However, the acceptance of nudity varies from one place to another and also on the kind of audience. Some will understand the cultural connotations of nudity while for others, you will have to explain the context. If you think about it, the songs and content that we have in Bollywood movies are far more vulgar and offensive.
Bratya Basu
(theatre director)
There should always be a context which demands nudity. Oscar Wilde had once said you can show an unknown lady without a robe and that would not be considered so but show a woman with gloves on, and she might be considered naked. That is not obscenity. What is to be considered obscene or nude depends on how the creator envisions it. If he or she thinks it is nudity then it is. The audience cannot point to what nudity is.
Koushik Sen
(actor and director)
A director has every right to use nudity as a tool to take the narrative forward. People do accept nudity but often, for all the wrong reasons. I have seen plays, which claim to have a nude scene, run houseful for all shows where people bought tickets only to see actors bare their skin for a few seconds. Unless plays like Draupadi, by eminent Manipuri dramatist H Kanhailal, where Draupadi (played by his wife H Sabitri) went topless after being raped is done, nudity will not be accepted as a natural process.
Kuljeet Singh
(theatre director)
If expressing nudity and using abusive language makes meaning to the narrative of the play, it should be allowed. However, one should keep in mind and be careful to not use nudity for mere titillation. It is a form of art and should be used wisely. If Ratan Thiyam has decided to remove the few seconds of nude scene in Sonka, he must have done it with wisdom as the chairperson of NSD. I do not think that there should be a blanket banning on nudity and abusive language because any sort of banning restricts the creator’s ability to express his or her thoughts.
Jyoti Dogra
(actor and theatre director)
From the looks of what is happening with the Polish play, nudity is clearly not allowed in theatre. I guess it is constitutionally illegal. But then again, the issue is subjective. It is like censorship — what might be right for me might not be the same for you. I think the idea of whether or not a nude act on the stage is valid in itself is a fake idea. It’s more about how far you are ready to go and torture yourself by seeing something that clearly makes you, and others around you, uncomfortable. I believe that if you do not want to see something that you feel is objectionable then do not see it.