This piece was written by Sunil Vishnu K, the founder (along with actor Karthik Kumar), of one of India’s most vibrant theatre groups, Evam, as a personal tribute after the demise of theatre legend Badal Sircar.
Badal Sircar passed away recently. Disillusioned, alone and unknown to the world. On the day the assembly election results were on page 1, his demise was reported on page 12, very akin to the life he led, first as a popular proscenium playwright/director and then as an anonymous street theatre artist.
For the world of theatre, he was the force behind the “third theatre” (alternate theatre or street theatre performed in villages as opposed to auditoriums), for Bengali theatre he was a legend, for the aam aadmi, he was “Badal Sircar, who?”
But for us at Evam, he was the one. The one who wrote the play Ebong Indrajit in Bengali. The play, which later on was translated by Girish Karnad in English and we came to know as Evam Indrajit. The play which got passed on to me and Karthik Kumar in 1999, while we were at MICA (Mudra Institute of Communication, Ahmedabad). The play which our college theatre group, Sankalp Mica debuted with in 2000. The play which “mindrocked” us and our world. The play which asked, “Will I become one amongst many? Or am I destined for a unique cause?” The play which inspired us to think about the possibility of starting a theatre company. The play which made us start Evam in 2003. The play that gave our company, a name.
I met Badal Sircar only once. It was two years back in Kolkata. Infact I seached for him and begged for a meeting. He refused saying, “Why would anybody want to meet me?” I pursued, told him about Evam and finally he agreed. I got to meet the man at a dilapidated school where his group of 15 middle-aged men, older women and youngsters were staging a street play, a satire on the state of Bengal.
In a white kurta, plain trousers,wrinkles on a tired face, white beard (reminded me of Lekh Tandon), sitting on a plastic chair, he seemed almost surreal, calm, lost in his own world. I sat next to him, said namaste but he hardly acknowledged me. The people aound him were setting up the show and he was just watching them. I spoke and spoke and spoke- about Evam, our journey from MICA to Chennai, our philosophy, our way of looking at theatre, a self-sustaining model, sponsorships, a platform for young people and went on for a good 15 minutes before he finally looked up at me.
I waited. And then he said, “Sunil.. I do theatre not for money but for myself, for change, none of the people you see here are paid, they all do theatre because they like theatre. Evam, wrong name na ( of your group) – your philosophy…my philosophy…very different.” And then he turned away to continue looking at his troupe setting up the show.
I just sat there looking at the man, not knowing what to say. I had mixed feelings. I felt slapped and humbled. I knew he had lost my story somewhere, but so had I. Maybe.
He may have left us on May 13, 2011 but we lost him years back. Still, Evam will always owe its birth to you. For Evam, you will always be the one. Thank you Badal da. Thank you.
Sunil Vishnu is a graduate of the Mudra Institute of Communication, Ahmedabad and along with actor Karthik Kumar, founded Evam in 2003.
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