Vibha
Rani is a doyen of Maithili theatre. She acts, sings writes poetry and
enthralls her audiences with her spontaneous and powerful performances.
In an exclusive
interview
with TIR, Vibha talks about the tribulations of being a committed
theatre artist and what future does she see for Maithili literature and
art in India.
A winner of several awards for her literary/theatrical/social
contribution
in Maithili and Hindi theatre; some of her achievements include The
Katha Award, Ghanshyamdas Saraf Sahitya Samman, Dr. Maheshwari Singh
‘Mahesh’ Sarvottam Sahitya Samman, Mohan Rakesh Samman Woman Achiever
Award, Best Suggestions Award, 1st Rajiv Saraswat Samman, 1st Ladli
Media Award-2009 for her satirical blog-writing, 1st Vyangya Rachnakar
Samman, Bhopal, 2009, Sahityasevi Samman, Chennai, 2011, Best female
Actor Award, 2013, Vishnudas Bhave Samman, 2011 and
more.
The Indian Republic: Vibha,
we would like to know a bit more about you. You are a singer, actor,
poet, playwright, dramatist; all rolled in one. How did your journey
begin? When did you start your group AVITOKO and where are you heading?
Vibha:
There
are 2 questions in one- About myself and about AVITOKO. Let me take a
tour towards myself first. I am very proud to mention that I am a small
town girl, hailing from Madhubani (place popularly known for its
Madhubani paintings). Madhubani is a district town, situated at northern
part of Bihar. This area along with other parts is known as Mithila.
Mythologically you may say that this is the place of goddess Sita. So I
am from the land of Sita. Ha, ha, ha! My mother tongue is Maithili. I
further would like to mention that this is the land of Bharti Mishr,
who won shastrarth from the 1st Shankaracharya. Apart from this, this is
the land of Sita Devi, Mahasundari Devi, Godavari Devi, Chano Devi, the
legendary artists of Madhubani Paintings. This is the land of Dr Amar
Nath Jha and Lily Rey.
My journey began with writing, singing, theatre- all together. I find
myself highly privileged for being a small town girl. Being a small
town girl, I not only came across from the languages, tradition,
culture, rituals and customs of small town, but also got an exposure of
the village- paddy fields, vegetables fields, local and seasonal fruits
and fruits garden, swinging on JHOOLA on mango trees, knowing about all
seasons crop with their names, such as Kharif, Rabbi, Dalhan, Telhan
etc. I had seen bulls extracting oil from muster or sesame. I had seen
the milking of cows. I had seen how the goats give birth to its cubs. I
had learnt making butter and ghee, preparing rice or puff rice in
Ookhal, grinding flour and besan on the chakki, making vadi, papad etc
from rice, wheat, Sabudana. These were community activities and full
mohalla’s women used to help us. My elder sister’s marriage was fixed
just a week ahead and the entire mohalla took the responsibilities and
contributed. I had seen no communal ghetto those days, as it is today.
These enriched me and my sensuality and sensitivity.
Apart from it, I am highly influenced by my mother, who was a gold
medalist of 1936 and was appointed directly as Headmistress by the Govt.
Those days, girl education was scant. My mother was a “
Bahoo” of
the town, so she had to cover her head or face before stepping out from
home. She used to go to house to house, tried to convince male members
of the families to send their girl child to school. She was very hard
working, committed and sincere. She simply used to forget her home after
entering in the school and never used to forget her school 24X7.
Seriousness and dedication towards works somewhat I inherited from her.
She was an expert in almost all subjects- Hindi, English, Sanskrit, Art,
History, Geography, Science. It was my dream to be like my mother. But,
she was marvelous and I could not touch even her shadow.
I am quite enthusiastic about all fields. So whether it
was farming or singing, studying or celebrating rituals or local
festivals, I always try to look into deeply, especially movies where I
often envisaged myself as an actress. That might had helped me to carve
myself as a singer, writer, poet, actor etc. I always think about
society and my role towards society.
And thus AVITOKO came up with the objective to pay our gratitude
towards our society. I had chosen jails, the most vulnerable sector of
the society to meet my societal urge. AVITOKO was founded on May 1,
2001, on the day of World Labor Day. From day one, it’s working with all
sectors of people through art, theatre, literature, culture, training,
education. AVITOKO has come up with the Corporate Behavioral training
concepts through Theatre. It supports low income group parents for their
children education. Our target groups are “special” group of people to
main stream people of all age and of all class of society. AVITOKO is
Mumbai based, but its activities are global.
The Indian Republic: Where do you think Maithili literature and art stands today? What kind of reception do you get from people in Mumbai?
Vibha: Maithili has its very long and highly rich
literature heritage. Vidyapati is the first poet of Maithili,
who establishedMaithili from the hard core culture of Sanskrit. Nagarjun
(known as Yatri in Maithili) and Rajkamal Chaudhary are the famous
writers, who came from Maithili. They are bilingual writers. Prof. Hari
Mohan Jha had sensed the wit of Mithila land and wrote his fiction,
novels in satirical genre to educate people in Maithili and to connect
social problems and stigmas through Maithili. It’s said that to read his
Novel, “Kanyadan”, people had learnt Maithili. Even, those, who were
unable to read or write, would listen it from others.
Enthusiastic
people are connected with Maithili through writing, publishing
magazines, theatre and other forms of art from the beginning. But, as it
happens everywhere, new entrants keep old aside and so is with its
literature too. Today’s priorities have been changed. Indian languages
do not fall among the ten priorities of our lives. With the result, we
are losing our grip on our language. Today, even in small places, people
have all modern gadgets, but they are out of their cultural,
traditional assets and pride. In our days, no marriage or any other
rituals get completed without songs. Today, women don’t sing and feel
proud about the same. Not knowing rituals all in the name of so called
modernity. In the last two years, I had attended many marriages in my
native place and in spite of my repeated requests; no one came forward
to sing ritual songs. Finally, I sang every time, danced everywhere.
It’s very sad. Somehow, I don’t agree with such modernism.
Mithila art is very rich. . Apart from Madhubani paintings, other
arts, such as Sikki work, Genra stitch (very similar to kaatha
work), embroidery, aplic work, even food items are very rich. Folk and
food of Mithila, local festivals are yet to be exposed to the world.
So far, I have written more than 20 plays and published more than
20 books in Hindi and Maithili both. I have received 16 awards for my
literary and theatrical contribution, which include Katha Award, Best
actor, playwright and play producer awards from the Govt. of Delhi
and Govt of Maharashtra from 1999 to till date. My plays are not only
being staged by me, but are being staged by several groups of the
country. I have traveled across the world with my solo performances,
theatre workshops and as a guest faculty, such as Finland, Abu Dhabi,
Dubai.
I am out from Bihar since 1984. I have travelled across the country. I
am very sad to find that I still have to tell about Maithili and
Mithila. I blame myself that I have not popularized my language and
region with passion. I am trying my level best to make Mithila and
Maithili more popular, more visible through my theatre, literature and
folk. And thus I represent Maithili and Mithila in various festivals
also, such as Jaipur Literature Festival, Bangalore Literature Festibal,
Samanvay, a literary fest of Indian Habitat Centre, Delhi.
The Indian Republic: How do you manage with the funding part? Is it easy to find sponsors or producers?
Vibha: Funding?! A big “NO”. It’s terrible to find
sponsors or producers. My fields of work are a little unique. I work for
the jail inmates and people find it’s a forbidden city and if they will
sponsor, they will be questioned. So they don’t. I do solo and people
think that there is no money or labour involved in it, hence they don’t
come forward to sponsor it. Same is with theatre. Everyone will pay a
heavy amount on all aspects of theatre, but they don’t have budget for
the artists. Just now, I was talking to some theatre enthusiast. He said
that you come in the morning, do your show in the evening and leave
after that. We will make your food arrangements. Writers in literature
and artists in theatre fields are most vulnerable.
The Indian Republic: Is there any message you would like to convey through us to the Government of the betterment of stage and regional arts?
Vibha: Today, the Central as well as State
Governments are doing reasonably better in art and theatre fields. They
are giving production grants along with others, especially in theatre.
What is happening that all facilities are going to some big names. In
theatre, people have started theatre groups just to get grants. Who will
check the quality? There should be some systems that people or groups,
who work with their dedication, seriousness
and with commitments, must be recognized by the Governments and
authorities. Regional arts must be supported by the local authorities.
But, what I think, even society also must look at it. Why should it
only be a government duty? Is it not their social responsibility to
nurture their culture and traditions? People will spend thousands of
rupees to watch a movie, but for theatre, they still want passes.
The Indian Republic: Most stage performers are
tempted to move on to films, for better exposure and more money. Do you
think theatre is losing its charm as an art form due to cinema?
Vibha: I strongly believe that money is very
important, not only for one’s survival, but for fulfilling one’s dreams
and desires. Since, we people are still not serious about theatre, stage
performers are forced to move to films, for better exposure and more
money. Secondly, we have limited the capacity of theatre upto play
performances in theatre halls only. Theatre can be performed anywhere
and any one can by associated with it. Today, common man stays aloof
from theatre.
Theatre will never lose its charm and identity. It’s a
direct medium of expression. Theatre shapes you. It’s not necessary that
theatre means acting only. There are several aspects of theatre, where
one can works. Similarly, theatre provides a platform of confidence,
whatever your field of work or career are. In fact, I will advocate that
each and every one must be given an exposure of theatre to understand
self and self’s capacity.
The Indian Republic: Who are the artists from theatre whom you have idolized?
Vibha: I always admire people, who are doing theatre
in small places by facing all odds and still living as well as dying
for theatre. They are real heroes of theatre. They are my idols.
However,
my theatre travelogue will not complete without naming my director duo,
who not only refined the actor within me, but also extended their
immense faith in me. Whatever I am today, the credit goes to them only.
They are Sri RS Vikal, with whom I had worked in 1986 in Delhi and now
since 2007 in Mumbai. Another director is Mr. Bombay Kannan, who
directed my 4 solo plays during my Chennai stay from 2010-13. He
directed not only mythology based plays, “Main Krishna Krishn Ki “and
“Ek Nayi Menka”, but also directed “Bimb-Pratibimb” which has a
strong flavour of dialectical Hindi and “Bhikharin” a
grand mixture of Bangla and Hindi. Ironically, he does not know Hindi
and I am illiterate in Tamil. But as it’s said that theatre has no
vocal language and at the same time, theatre has its own language. My
other director Sri Rajendra Joshi has directed my Maithili play
“Naurangi Natni”, who himself is a Marathi speaking man and does not
know Maithili at all. I always admire Subodh Poddar, who always shaped
me in my dance steps for “Naurangi Natni” and accent, Robindro Sangeet
and costume for my solo “Bhikharin”. Harsh Prasad had directed my
English solo play “Life is not a Dream”, which was opened in Finland and
had several shows in Mumbai. Manjul Bharadwaj had awakened my
playwright urge. These are my real idols, whom I admire and respect from
the bottom of my heart.
The Indian Republic: Your plays Bimb-Pratibimb and
Naurangi Natini are stories about the plight of women in rural India,
while Aao Tanik Prem Karein and Ek Nayi Menka have a more romantic and
social storyline. Do you consciously choose the kind of plays you want
to do?
Vibha: I choose content and situations, which appeal
to me. Upon seeing social injustice, I become very restless. But, I
cannot take law and order in my own hands. My media of expressions are
writing, theatre, training and interaction. Bimb-Pratibimb is a story of
3 women, caught under the odd situations of widowhood and divorce. This
is not only a saga of a village woman, but is a trap of social stigma.
Women, whether they are educated or not, rich or poor, from village or
from the town, finally, they are just women. You will appreciate that
widowhood is a destiny. Any woman would not like to become widow or be
called a divorcee. But since our society has labelled women as a soul
responsible for maintaining the long life of their husbands, they start
cursing women for the unfortunate death of her husband. Not only this,
they are deprived of the basic facilities.
All my stories or plays have a social and contemporary storyline.
Even, if I deal with mythology, then also contemporary aspects have to
be there. Naurangi Natni deals the anger of common man against the
system. “Ek Nayi Menka” starts, from where Menka and the Vishvamitr
story stopped in our mythology. Here, the woman’s voice is very strong.
The Indian Republic: According to you, what is the
real essence of a good artist? Is art an in-born talent or can it be
learnt even later in life from teachers?
Vibha: To my mind, the real essence of a good artist
is “What I want to do?” I don’t believe in in-born talent. I believe in
practice, Riyaz. I also believe that there is no age for any kind of
creativity. But yes, Learning and riyaz is the mool mantra of success.
Of course, there is a very vital role of a teacher and institutions. It
saves your time and efforts. You get a structural training. Self
teaching sometimes takes your full life. But teacher and institutions
are just like a torch. Pupils or disciples have to move ahead and to
create their own path.
The Indian Republic: Any note of advice to the young theatre aspirants?
Vibha: Believe in yourself. Be ready for hard work.
Do practice regularly. You may be a full timer theatre practitioner or
not, but you will have to be a full time learner all 24×7. Never be over
confident. People see the success of big names. But they simply forget
to see their hard work. They get neglected, rejected in
their primary days. Humanity is an essential aspect of success.
Shaumik Samar Ghosh
Shaumik Ghosh,has been working with the
media as a journalist and writer since the last 12 years. He enjoys
writing, observing social trends, pop culture, doing interviews and
travelling. He is presently in the process of developing 2 documentary
stories and hopes to finish them in time.
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दौड़ती भागती भोपाल पहुंची थी संतोष चौबे जी आयोजित विश्व रंग के आयोजन में। शाम में नाटक "चांडालिका" का मंचन था। नाटकवाले तो बस ग्रीन रूम में सबसे पहले मिलते हैं। मैं भी लपकी। शो में अभी देर थी।
