Are teachings of medieval poet-saint Kabir forgotten narratives? Praveen Jain, director of the play Aaj Kabir, disagrees. At a recent…
A still from the play 'Aaj Kabir' (Photo: SNS)
Are teachings of medieval poet-saint Kabir forgotten narratives? Praveen Jain, director of the play Aaj Kabir, disagrees. At a recent presentation of the play, Jain shared his views, “I chose this play to direct because this is the time when communalism and casteism is rising. Kabir becomes most relevant for today’s times. His was a fearless voice of resistance, which is very much needed today.” In a world where many feel that political stifling of dissent is on the rise, revisiting Kabir becomes important to maintain a critical perspective towards most occurrences.
Based on Bhisham Sahni’s Kabira Khada Bazaar Main, the play is a contemporary application of Kabir’s voice of reason. Performed in Studio Safdar, a popular theatre space in Delhi’s Shadipur, Aaj Kabir was designed for an unconventional space unlike proscenium. The play started from the passage where the audience was waiting to enter the performance area. Small pieces of dialogue from the play were distributed to the audience, the writer’s note about the play was read by an actor out of role and then the audience entered the “Ganga ghaat”.
Jain pointed out the role of music in shaping the play, “Kabir and Raidas’s songs and couplets were sung commenting on the hollowness and hypocrisy of religious rituals.” He commended his team for pulling off two performances well, in the light of limited resources.
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As Deshmukh Patel, a viewer, put it, “When you watch the play you realise how tragic it is for all of us to be in this situation today, but it’s interesting how Kabir gives us the courage to fight against all this through poetry, music and activism.”
Compiling socially relevant plays goes a long way in using theatre as a tool for resistance, which has been highlighted beautifully during the two performances of Aaj Kabir.
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