Dissolving boundaries

Mangrove Theatre Centre performing the play Bonobir Pala

It is a universally acknowledged truth that the pandemic has given the entertainment industry a sucker punch where it hurts the most. But all is not lost. Even a cloud as dark as the times we are living in has a silver lining. And one positive fallout of the entire shift to the digital medium is that it's helped dissolve boundaries. You can be sitting in Mumbai, and still log on to catch an event that's being organised out of Kolkata, featuring artistes from places as remote as Manipur and the Sunderbans. That's what will transpire this weekend, at a multi-cultural festival called ArtsAloneTogether.

It's got a bit of everything, from storytelling, dance, theatre, music to even a magic show. The idea is for people to choose an event of their liking from the day-long itinerary and then pay only for the individual performances that they select. The artistes include Kiran Kumar, who will present an interdisciplinary piece that involves movement and a travelogue; Park Circus, a hip-hop crew; magician David Nobo; Nachom Arts Foundation, a dance troupe from Imphal; Mangrove Theatre Centre from the Sunderbans who will showcase a recorded play; and Shillong-based blues veteran Lou Majaw.

Check out that line-up again. The sheer diversity of it encompasses nooks and crannies of this country that are often denied a mainstream audience. When was the last time, if ever, that you witnessed folk theatre indigenous to the Sunderbans delta? That's the silver lining we are talking about. Nishit Arora of Smoke Inc, the events firm that's organising the festival along with cultural organisation Arts Forward, tells us that thanks to the online medium, he doesn't have to cater only to the 100-odd people in Kolkata who would turn up for his shows. But, crucially, he also admits that digital performances can't capture the kick-in-your-guts energy of an actual live performance. That's all right, though. For the time being, we have to make the best of what we have. Arora says, "We have been telling people to not compare on-ground events to online ones. Of course, it's not the same. You have to approach a digital performance knowing its limitations. And once you do that - keeping your mind open - you might not leave disappointed."

David Nobo

That's sagely advice. As audience members, let's not crib. Let's instead tide over the rough times together till things get back to normal. One day - we don't yet know when - we will again be able to experience the emotional upheavals of watching a play on stage, or letting our hair down while a band thrashes out live music. Meanwhile, let's not grin and bear it, but celebrate the silver linings of the entertainment world moving online.

On August 23, 10 am to 11 pm
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