Theatre acts so often show us the transience of life. But in Odisha, the performers themselves are ephemeral.
Natya Chetana, an NGO based in Bhubaneswar, has been championing the culture of theatre among tribals since 1986. It has trained youngsters for staging 25 long plays and over 50 cycle expeditions.
The latter is a novel form of theatre where a Natya Chetana team cycles from village to village, setting up small plays. The cyclists stop when the day ends, rope in the villagers to perform and work towards the larger goal of reviving the culture of the region.
Many tribal artists join in for a performance
“Tribals know the what, when and how of singing, dancing and playing music. They sail through the training process and prove their mettle easily. But unfortunately, they vanish without a trace,” says Dr Subodh Patnaik, secretary of Natya Chetana
Patnaik’s regret is not unrealistic. Over 500 young tribals from across Rayagada, Angul, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Kandhamal districts have worked with Natya Chetana ever since it organized its first camp in 1987 and most of them have left and never returned.
One such missing actor is Lucky, a tribal girl from Kandhamal who played the lead in the play Nian at the Theatre Olympiad in Bhopal and Kolkata in 2017-18. When contacted, she avoided answers, saying she was unwell. Lucky is now in Khurda.
Some of these tribal youth are pulled away by the exigencies of a poverty-struck existence at home; others try their hand at the small screen and give it all up when faced with failure. Many are known to take up jobs as labourers to make ends meet.
Among the hundreds of unnamed artistes aspiring for a better living is Nilambar Mirgan from Umerkote town, Nabarangpur. This Panika tribal was associated with Natya Chetana for three years. “I am now doing a part-time job in a Chennai-based company and carrying on with my research on folk theatre simultaneously,” he says when asked about his absence.
However, there are also some who speak more positively of the theatre artists they love.
Gond tribal theatre artist Umakanta from Angul vows, “I am doing an IT course in Bhubaneswar. After I get a job, I will carry on with my theatre simultaneously.” His role in Baje Sei Ghonta, an Indo-Bangladesh production, in Chittagong in 2011 was notable.
Then there was Congress Nayak of the Santhal tribe in Keonjhar. Nayak did 23 shows in France, Italy, Belgium and Luxembourg, among others, during a 28-day Europe tour of Natya Chetana in 1997-98. Later, he anchored several shows for the Centre for Youth and Social Development. “Tragically, he passed away after contracting cerebral malaria,” reveals Patnaik.
