A drama for change

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Dramas, in the form of street plays, have come out of closed auditoriums onto the roads, historical monuments and railway platforms, thanks to the youth.

The action is now everywhere with themes not shying away from being top-of-the-mind — anti-corruption, terrorism, whistle-blowing and mindset issues.
While the larger motive is to spread awareness and begin a dialogue with the masses, the medium is also a journey of self-discovery for those playing the roles. “No one expects IITians to step out of their geeky world and take social steps. For us, Raging Streets is a parallel universe, separate from our academic and professional lives,” says Snehil Basoya, an alumnus of IIT-Delhi (IITD). Basoya is a member of IITD’s first street play group Raging Streets.
A member of Abhivyakti, the dramatics society of IP College for Women, Palak Bhambri, a final year student, says that the plays bring her face to face with real issues. “Our last play, Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyun Aata Hai? talked about the inherent violence in humans and presented to viewers a wish for mental peace in the world. The violent scenes required us to be violent towards one another. We got a lot of bruises but the praise makes up for every one of them. Today, we consider each mark a personal battle scar,” she says.
The driving force behind the youth manning the groups is the realisation of the awakening that drama spreads. The students recognise the visual appeal, spontaneity and openness of the medium and give it their best. Each theme requires a lot of homework, context, dialogues that do not offend, and value additions like music, partnerships with welfare organisations and discussions. “We need to present everything carefully so that the intended message gets conveyed and the audience interprets it in much the same way, as we want them to,” says Kritika Tan-eja, a student of SSCBS, and member of its street play group, Verve.
At times, locations can be challenging and so too the audience. Even after doing one’s best if one does not get any applause it can be tough, but the passion never falters. “Sometimes there are disturbing and derogatory comments. But we have thickened our skins against them,” says Bhambri about the challenges faced.
Another noteworthy aspect of the groups is their organisational culture — with a group having as many as 40 members — and time given to the group. “Our practice schedules focus on energy and volume, increasing stamina, improving acting skills and lots of script-making exercises,” concludes Basoya.