Spreading the spirit of Mobile Theatre- Abahan performs in Bangalore

I still remember the time when my dad used to buy “Kohinoor” theatre tickets for all of us. It was held right in front of our house, on that big public field. We had the advantage of going every single day and watch each show. My dad and his younger sister perform actively on plays since their childhood days and hence it is quite natural why he can’t stop himself from buying tickets for the theatres which visit the city even today. He made sure I and my brother should get the taste of our Assamese culture and learn the authentic and traditional ways of entertainment. I personally like the experience as I could feel the characters “Live” and could feel the essence of the performance. Somehow it just connects! Being here in Bangalore for almost a decade now, I miss enjoying a theatre. But, to my surprise, the Abahan Theatre visits Bangalore and the show starts from today till 28^th April, Sarjapur road. The plays Mokora Jaal, Madhuri Mur Naam and Moi Maar Suwali have been directed by Abhijeet Bhattacharya and have received high praises in the state   On 25^th April, the organizational body of the Bhramyamaan theatre speaks to the public about the importance of this culture which is held on Atta Galatta, Kormangala. The evening witnessed a panel discussion between lead actors of the theatre- Prostuti Porasor, Prayashi Porasor, and writer-director Avijit Bhattacharya. The discussion was moderated by Ashish Sen. Understanding the culture:  The mobile theatre has a deep and unique connection with the people of Assam. It holds a deep cultural significance in the hearts of the people of Assam. It is locally called 'Bhramyamaan' and its popularity in the state often surpasses that of cinema. This form has survived decades of changes in entertainment preferences by combining the methods of socially-conscious theatre and modern cinematic technology. “The mobile theatre is the only cultural medium in Assam”, Avijit Bhattacharya mentioned while discussing this unique culture of entertainment. “Bhramyamaan theatre is challenging when it comes to small screens and movies. In Assam, the movie market is not in good shape due to various reasons. On the other hand, Bhramyamaan theatre is growing every passing day”, Prostuti informed.   Features of Bhramyamaan: For Assamese fraternity, mobile theatre is a greater entertainment than visiting movie halls or other similar forms of entertainment because of the following traits:

• It is local and touches millions of hearts.
• The content gets inspired by the real lives, keeping in mind the commercial aspects of it.
• It is a Live performance. People can see the direct interaction with the artists.
• Unlike movies, the infrastructure comes to the doorstep of the people.
• Bhramyamaan is all about rhythm. It includes almost 8-10 numbers of musicians.
• The show requires 3-4 stages. The stage would be 80 ft. in breadth and 25 ft. in depth.
• Audience numbers from 3000-3500.
• Almost 150 people are involved along with their families.

 A tool to empower people: Bhramyamaan theatre works with technicians who don’t have formal education or no education. The platform gives them an opportunity to work and earn something for a living. Most of the technicians are farmers, labourers that join the theatre troupe from their respective villages. It is an important tool to hold the community together. Travel to Bangalore: This non-profit initiative has been taken up in collaboration with the Abahan fraternity and the greater Assamese community in Bangalore (East Bangalore Bihu Committee, Assam Association Bangalore, Assam Society of Bangalore).  Traveling to Bangalore and performing in a new place is a different experience and challenging too for the group. “Brahmayan theatre gets started from the first week of July every year. We are on rehearsals which are very hectic.  We have to see the technical aspects also along with our performances. We start our shows mid-August and goes till April- every single day. We don’t have holidays, festivals and moreover, we can’t afford to miss any of the shows. And I’m the main protagonist and I have to keep myself active and healthy to keep going. No matter what the show must go on”, Prostuti exclaimed. Once we were done with our yearly shows by 13^th April, the troupe was all set to start their journey to Karnataka on 14^th morning. The entire theatre troupe of more than 90 personnel comprising actors, directors, technicians, stagehands, and more, along with two truckloads of equipment and stage materials, has traveled to Bangalore. “Our whole program was dependent on those two trucks”, the lead protagonist emphasized. Traveling to Bangalore was quite challenging. Prostuti mentioned that it is an honour for them to perform outside Assam and creating awareness of their culture. However, there were challenges that couldn’t get ignored. “The crew has people from different classes and background- workers, labourers, famers, who barely crossed the borders of Assam so far. To console, make them understand, motivate and bring them to Bangalore was a big challenge. They are so naïve that they can’t even speak except than their native language. They are the people who create the atmosphere and our whole act is dependent on us”, Prostuti informed. The whole show is about rhythm and music plays a vital role. These months are crucial and demanding for the musicians as they earn much of their money during this time-frame. “We couldn’t ask them to leave and come along with us. Hence, we could bring only 2 musicians from a lot of 11 musicians. We prepared for this limitation for the past two months”. She added that the troupe comprises of 8 male artists and 5 female artists including her.  The artists earn 80k-90k a year which keeps them happy. “It’s a privilege for us to come to Bangalore and perform but they don’t understand that much. Their financial background doesn’t allow them to understand this privilege. We had to motivate them so much so that they should be willing to come along with us to Bangalore.   Collaboration and generating awareness: The theatre group is very much keen on expanding and traveling to different parts of the country to create awareness of this unique culture of Assam. The event is a unique blend of trust, mutual understanding and respect, and a passion for theatre and arts that are striving to bring forth the best of mobile theatre, without any commercial underpinnings. Venue: Ground Next to Jain Heights Altura, Sarjapura Road, Bengaluru Timing: 7:30- 10:30 PM For tickets call: 7676509158 For more such interesting information on Indian culture, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Download our magazine Spunky Indian for exclusive stories.