Seeing Bengaluru traffic woes, Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival begins at 2 locations - 22 km apart

Director Mohit Takalkar's Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta, about the political world, is on at Ranga Shankara on October 31, and Jagriti Theatre on November 1.

It seems like a sign of the times when Arundhati Nag, artistic adviser of Ranga Shankara Theatre, decides on a telephonic interview instead of holding it at the theatre in JP Nagar, Bengaluru South. This year, considering the city’s notorious traffic jams, the annual Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival for the first time since its inception in 2004, will be twinning a part of the festival at Jagriti Theatre in Whitefield, about 22 kilometres away. “People have been cribbing about travelling across the city, so it was S. Surendranath (artistic director of Ranga Shankara) who suggested having four of the six featured plays at Jagriti as well,” Arundhati explains.

From Urmila, directed by Nimmy Raphel.

This year’s theme is ‘Narrative and Narrative’ which allows for six plays with diverse narratives that are linear, layered, political, subversive and so on. Ranga Shankara’s production, Slices of the Moon Swept by the Wind (October 27, Ranga Shankara), is a reading of the novella by Arundhati. The Kannada novella is written by Surendranath and translated by Pratibha Nandakumar into English for the festival. “Since we are planning a grand festival next year for our 20th anniversary, this year we are doing a quiet piece that showcases the power of words and reading,” Arundhati says. An hour-long solo reading doesn’t deter the thespian. “It’s 1 hour and ten minutes,” she corrects. “Of course, I can do it!”

Of the other plays, Jo Dooba So Paar (October 28, Ranga Shankara; October 29, Jagriti) is a musical that traces the history of Sufism and Amir Khusrau through Qawwali; Urmila (dir: Nimmy Raphel; October 29/30) reflects on Lakshmana’s wife Urmila’s sacrifice in the Ramayana; Patigulam (dir: Bagrudeen M; October 30/31) showcases the sheer power of proverbs, Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta (dir: Mohit Takalkar; October 31/November 1) underlines the political world; and Mahilabharatha (dir: Shripad Bhat; November 1, at Ranga Shankara) has a narrative swinging between memories of the past and the realities of the present.

Director Bagrudeen M's Paatigulam is about the power of proverbs.

Journalist, activist, and author Aakar Patel will open the festival with a talk The Narrator, and on the concluding day, Kannada scholar Nataraj Budal will talk of the literary origins of Tattva Pada, songs that were composed to convey moral or religious concepts. Incidentally, directors Nimmy Raphel and Mohit Takalkar are past recipients of the Shankar Nag Award which is given to young theatre practitioners. “Ghanta is a hallmark work by Mohit,” Arundhati Nag says. “Mohit has had a visceral reaction to the horrors of the pandemic, and he told me that his theatre has changed completely. It is interesting to see how he has grown as a director over the years,” she adds.

About actor-director Atul Kumar, Nag says: “He is such a fine actor who brings layers to any role be it King Lear or Hamlet.”

Her own theatrical journey of 50 years – she was on stage at 16 – has been rewarding and fostered a family that’s as dear to her as her biological family. She even learned to speak Kannada by acting in Kannada plays, something that’s hard to fathom when you hear Arundhati’s flawless Kannada diction.

And then there is Ranga Shankara. Built on the lines of her late husband actor Shankar Nag’s dream of creating a vibrant, affordable, inclusive space for the theatre community and audiences in Bengaluru, the theatre is ‘just theatre’. “No popcorn, no coca cola.” She is clear on that. The ticket charges are nominal (Rs 300) and so is the space (Rs 2,500). It is open every day except for a weekly off; the theatre had adopted a hybrid mode during Covid. “Ranga Shankara is a philosophy,” Nag says. A lot of her time and energy has gone into the running of the theatre along with Surendranath whom she has known for 40 years. “We are the original dreamers and we have worked hard!”

At 67, Arundhati Nag says she has been trying to run away from Ranga Shankara but it keeps calling her back. Her motivation is to keep the place ‘alive’ otherwise it will just be another beautiful building. “Like Vidhana Soudha,” she says, referring to the massive legislative building in the city. The search is now on for her successor. No matter who will eventually run the space, Nag says, it’s mandatory that they understand world theatre, Indian theatre, and Kannada theatre. At 19, she believes Ranga Shankara is experienced but young, ‘the age when we feel we know everything’. But thanks to the award given in the memory of Shankar Nag, there are 10 awardees who, Nag believes, can guide Ranga Shankara. “In five years, they will be ready,” she thinks. “We are looking at the possibility of bringing in a group of three to give them the option of taking a break. Suri and I could do it continuously because of the founder’s curse.” She laughs at the thought even as she gears up for the 19th edition of the festival. The stage is ready.