This Bengali play in Andheri shines light on present through historical lens

Actors rehearse a moment from the conviction of James Long in the play

India's social movements have always been interlinked with the arts. It is no surprise then that one of the earliest legal cases of censorship was placed on a theatrical production that almost spurred civil unrest in Bengal in the late 1800s. For Amatya Goradia, writer-director of the play 1876, it was the captivating blend of history, drama and a resonance in current society that drew him to the story. The play will premiere the first show of its opening leg in Andheri today.

Amatya Goradia

"As a writer, I am always on the lookout for stories. A year ago, I was reading up on court cases that emerged from the urge to write a legal drama. I was curious about laws that cover the arts; it's how I learnt about the Dramatic Performances Act (DPA) of 1876," 32-year-old Goradia explains.

An alumnus of Mithibai College, he grew up watching rehearsals and reading sessions of Gujarati theatre from his father, theatremaker Jayant Goradia. His first break was at the Thespo Festival in 2013 with another historical play, EQ, based on the life and times of Albert Einstein.

The history of the 1876 act, he shares, is a microcosm of the state of Bengal during the late 19th century. The trigger to it all was Dinabandhu Mitra's work, Nil Darpan. "It was a simple play that laid bare the oppression of the Indigo Commission on the farmers of Bengal. It was direct, and scathing on the government," he reveals. Naturally, the play formed the core of his upcoming production.

Goradia instructs actors

While Nil Darpan was in production in 1861, it caught the attention of the British colonists only after it was reportedly translated into English by illustrious Bengali poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt, and published by Reverend James Long. Staged during the Indigo Revolt, it created a stir that resulted in Long's imprisonment, and eventually, to founding of the first commercial theatre company in India, National Theatre in 1872. "In fact, the first commercial production by the National Theatre was Nil Darpan - almost a repartee to the British Empire," says the director.

"It is even more relevant when you remember that over the years, many theatre makers such as Vijay Tendulkar, and even lokshahirs such as Namdeo Dhasal have faced cases and imprisonments. Any theatre or performance that provokes the audience to react or act, political or apolitical, against power is often charged by law," he points out.

Dinabandhu Mitra. Pic Courtesy/Wikimedia Commons

Finding the story was the beginning. "It was tough work to source details, since little was available in terms of data or background. I explored the nature of the case, and its resonance with current society rather than history through the production," he shares, adding, "The history featured in this play emerges through the stagecraft - costumes, characters and the diction. Since it's set in Bengal, we worked on our diction, so we could include Bengali in the dialogues," he reveals.

The play debuts today. Goradia is confident of a good run, "We are hoping to return to Prithvi in June this year, before taking it to other venues. The idea is to keep performing as much as we can, and wherever we can."

On Today, 9 pm; Tomorrow; 6 pm and 9 pm
At Veda Kunba Theatre, Four Bungalows, Andheri West.
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Cost Rs 250 onwards