S*x, M*rality and Cens*rship, Sunil Shanbag's new play, premiers this evening to ask the audience if they are willing to wear the moral police's muzzle
S*x, M*rality and Cens*rship, Sunil Shanbag's new play, premiers this evening to ask the audience if they are willing to wear the moral police's muzzle
What do a Tamasha artist and a bookbinder have in common? Both have long-suffered censorship in their on-stage avatar. While Vijay Tendulkar's landmark Marathi play, Sakharam Binder, managed to achieve cult status since it was first staged in 1972, the Tamasha artist has all but lost the rebellious streak that was at the core of the art form. Director Sunil Shanbag believes it is time to question censorship official and unofficial and ask audiences and fellow artists to acknowledge it. This week, he does it with his "theatre work" S*x, M*rality and Cens*rship, a play that premiers at Prithvi Theatre this evening.
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"Sakhram Binder faced violence and harassment because its protagonist questioned revered institutions and attitudes of society," explains Shanbag.
Similarly Tamasha, originally a subversive form of folk entertainment, has been severely sanitised by society, he claims. "Tamasha in its original form was full of satire. It questioned norms of society. It included in-your-face sex, and commented on political activities. Now, all they do is dance the bite, the kick is lost," bemoans Shanbag.
Shanbag intends to confront his audiences and fellow artists. "A lot of artists, whether connected to theatre, painting, music, dance or cinema are being attacked, and their space of expression is being curtailed. We are asking audiences to think about what official and unofficial censors are doing to art," says Shanbag.
Ironically, this theatre-work with an in-your-face title, has only been given a temporary, one-month censor certificate. "If after a month, nobody hurls stones at us or blackens our face in public, they might give us a permanent certificate. Otherwise, they can say, 'It's a law and order situation' and curb the performance altogether," he shrugs.
On: September 29 to October 1, 9 pm. October 2, 4 pm, 7 pm. October 3, 6 pm, 9.30 pm. October 4, 4 pm, 7.30 pm.
At: Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, Juhu.
Call: 26149546.
Tickets: Rs 200
The people behind it
Shanta Gokhale developed the play's broad structure Irawati Karnik and Sunil Shanbag focussed on researching and building on the subject for three months Maya Jadhav, the Shamshir of Lavani, has choreographed
a few dances Shyam Petkar, Kishore Kadam, Anand Thatte and Anil Deshmukh helped translate material from Marathi to Hindi Deshmukh, Atul Tiwari and Arvind Jagtap wrote original songs Shailendra Barve composed original music
Cast: Nagesh Bhonsle, Gitanjali Kulkarni, Shubhrojyoti Barat, Ketaki Thatte, Rajashree Wad, Hridaynath Jadhav, Umesh Jagtap, Gulshan Devaiah, Puja Swaroop
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