Badal Sarkar Scholarship Essay

Badal Sircar (15 July 1925 – 13 May 2011), also known as Badal Sarkar, was an influential Indian dramatist and theatre director, most known for his anti-establishment plays during the Naxalite movement in the 1970s and taking theatre out of the proscenium and into public arena, when he founded his own theatre company, Shatabdi in 1976. He wrote more than fifty plays of which Ebong Indrajit, Basi Khabar, and Saari Raat are well known literary pieces, a pioneering figure in street theatre as well as in experimental and contemporary Bengali theatre with his egalitarian "Third Theatre", he prolifically wrote scripts for his Aanganmanch (courtyard stage) performances, and remains one of the most translated Indian playwrights.^[2][3] Though his early comedies were popular, it was his angst-ridden Ebong Indrajit (And Indrajit) that became a landmark play in Indian theatre.^[4] Today, his rise as a prominent playwright in 1960s is seen as the coming of age of Modern Indian playwriting in Bengali, just as Vijay Tendulkar did it in Marathi, Mohan Rakesh in Hindi, and Girish Karnad in Kannada.^[5]

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1968 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, the highest honour in the performing arts by Govt. of India, in 1997.^[6]

Early life and education[edit]

Badal Sircar, whose real name was 'Sudhindra Sarkar', was born in Calcutta, India. He was initially schooled at the Scottish Church Collegiate School. After transferring from the Scottish Church College, where his father was a history professor,^[7] he studied civil engineering at the Bengal Engineering College(now IIEST), Shibpur, Howrah then affiliated with the University of Calcutta.^[8] In 1992, he finished his Master of Arts degree in comparative literature from the Jadavpur University in Calcutta.

Career[edit]

While working as a town planner in India, England and Nigeria, he entered theatre as an actor, moved to direction, but soon started writing plays, starting with comedies. Badal Sirkar did experiments with theatrical environments such as, stage, costumes and presentation and established a new generation of theatre called "Third Theatre".^[9] In Third Theatre approach, he created a direct communication with audience and emphasised on expressionist acting along with realism. He started his acting career in 1951, when acted in his own play, Bara Trishna, performed by Chakra, a theatre group.

Eventually still employed in Nigeria, he wrote his landmark play Ebong Indrajit (And Indrajit) in 1963, which was first published and performed in 1965 and catapulted him into instant fame, as it captured "the loneliness of post-Independence urban youth with dismaying accuracy". He followed them with plays like Baaki Itihaash (Remaining History) (1965), Pralap (Delirium) (1966), Tringsha Shatabdi (Thirtieth Century) (1966), Pagla Ghoda (Mad Horse) (1967), Shesh Naai (There's No End) (1969), all performed by Sombhu Mitra's Bohurupee group.^[1][2]

In 1967, he formed the "Shatabdi" theatre group, and the first production he directed was Ebang Indrajit in 1967, a play about three people – Amal, Bimal, Kamal and a loner Indrajit. In the next five years of its existence the troupe performed several of his plays and had a profound impact on contemporary theatre, especially after 1969 when it started performing plays both indoors and outside amidst people, and evolved the angan manch (courtyard stage) and inspired by the direct communication techniques of Jatra rural theatre form, to eventually become his "Third Theatre", a protest against prevalent commercial theatre establishment. Often performed in "found" spaces rather than rented theatre halls, without elaborate lighting, costumes or make-up, where audience was no longer a passive, rather became participatory, it added a new realism to contemporary dramaturgy, retaining thematic sophistication of social committed theatre all the while, and thus started a new wave of experimental theatre in Indian theatre. In 1976, his group "Satabdi", started performing at Surendranath Park (then Curzon Park) Kolkata on weekends, these open-air and free performances lead to his troupe travelling to nearby villages on other weekends, where it employed minimal props and improvised dialogues to involve audience further into the performance.

Though he continued to hold his job till 1975, as a playwright he rose to prominence in the 1970s and was one of the leading figures in the revival of street theatre in Bengal. He revolutionised Bengali theatre with his wrath-ridden, anti-establishment plays during the Naxalite movement.^{[10][11][12][13]}

His plays reflected the atrocities that prevailed in the society, the decayed hierarchical system and were socially enlightening. He is a proponent of the "Third theatre" movement that stood ideologically against the state. Third theatre involved street plays, with actors being attired no differently than the audience. Also the formal bindings of the proscenium theatre was given up. Sarkar's "Bhoma" is an example of a third theatre play, set as always, in an urban background. Starting with Sagina Mahato, which marked his advent into arena stage, his subsequent plays, Michhil (Juloos), Bhoma, Basi Khobor, Spartacus based on Howard Fast's historical novel by the same name, were performed in parks, street corners and remote villages with the audience sitting all around.^[10][14][15]

Sircar directed his last play in 2003, and after that his movements were restricted after a road accident, but even many years in 2011, he continued performing at play readings and writing new works like adapting, William Shakespeare's Macbeth, two stories by Graham Greene and a novel, History of Love.^[16]

Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi awarded the prestigious 'Ammannur Puraksaram'in 2010 for his lifetime achievements in Indian Theatre.The award was presented to him by Girish Karnad during the inaugural function of 3rd edition of International Theatre Festival of Kerala (ITFoK)

Death[edit]

Sarkar was diagnosed with colon cancer in April 2011. He died on 13 May at Kolkata at the age of 85.

Awards and recognition[edit]

Sarkar was awarded the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship in 1971,^[17] the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1972, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1968 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship- Ratna Sadsya, the highest honour in the performing arts by Govt. of India, in 1997, given by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama.

The "Tendulkar Mahotsav" held at the National Film Archive of India (NFAI), Pune in October 2005, organised by director Amol Palekar to honour playwright Vijay Tendulkar, was inaugurated with the release of a DVD and a book on the life of Badal Sircar.^[18]

In July 2009, to mark his 85th birthday, a five-day-long festival titled Badal Utsava as tribute to him was organised by several noted theatre directors.^[19] He was offered the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2010, which he declined, stating that he is already a Sahitya Akademi Fellow, which is the biggest recognition for a writer.^[20]

In media[edit]

Sarkar is the subject of two documentaries, one directed by filmmaker and critic, Amshan Kumar,^[21] and another A Face in the Procession by Sudeb Sinha, which was shot over two years.

Legacy[edit]

Badal Sircar influenced a number of film directors, theatre directors as well as writers of his time. Film director Mira Nair in an interview mentioned, "For me, Kolkata was a formative city while growing up.... I learned to play cricket in Kolkata, but more than anything, I learned to read Badal Sircar and watch plays written by him for street theatre. "^[22] To Kannada director and playwright, Girish Karnad, Sircar's play Ebong Indrajit taught him fluidity between scenes, while as per theare director-playwright Satyadev Dubey, "In every play I've written and in every situation created, Indrajit dominates." To Actor-director Amol Palekar, "Badalda opened up new ways of expression."^[23] Recently (2013), a newly established cultural group, Maniktala Kolpokatha has started their theatrical career paying homage to the great play writer, staging "Ballavpurer Roopkatha". To the group, it is one of the plays that is not often staged in the Kolkata Theatre Circuit, and has all the spices of love, laughter and fear.

List of plays[edit]

• Ebang Indrajit (And Indrajit) (1963)
• Basi Khabar
• Baaki Itihaash (Remaining History) (1965)
• Pralap (Delirium) (1966)
• Tringsha Shatabdi (Thirtieth Century) (1966)
• Pagla Ghoda (Mad Horse) (1967)
• Shesh Naai (There's No End) (1969)
• Spartacus
• Prastava
• Michhil (Procession)
• Bhoma
• Solution X
• Baropishima
• Saara Raattir
• Baro Pisima
• Kabi Kahini
• Manushe Manushe
• Hottomalar oparey
• Bollovpurer rupkatha
• Sukhapathya bharoter itihash(Indian History Made Easy)
• Gondi (adaptation from 'Caucasian Clak Circle' by Bertolt Brecht)
• Nadite Dubiye Dao (Adaptation from 'We come to the river' by Edward Bond)
• Sinri
• bagh
• Ka Cha Ta Ta Pa (A satire)
• Bagala Charit Manas
• Ore Bihanga
• Dwirath
• Manushe Manushe
• Janmavumi Aaj (A poetry Monaz)
• Mara-Saad
• Choruivati (An adaptation from "Picnic in the Battlefield" by Fernando Arrabal)

Works[edit]

Plays in translation[edit]

• Evam Indrajit: Three-act Play. tr. by Girish Karnad. Oxford University Press. 1975. ISBN 0-19-560312-5.
• Three plays : Procession, Bhoma, Stale news. tr. by Samik Bandyopadhyay. Seagull. 1983.
• Beyond the Land of Hattamala & Scandal in Fairyland. tr. by Suchanda Sarkar. Seagull Books, 2003 . ISBN 81-7046-091-3.
• Two Plays: Indian History Made Easy, Life of Bagala, tr. by Subhendu Sarkar. OUP, 2009. ISBN 978-0-19-806549-4.
• Pagala Ghoda:tr.in marathi by Amol Palekar

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

• Jain, Kirti. Badal Sircar: Search for a Language of Theatre. New Delhi: Niyogi Books, 2016, 460 pages, ISBN 9789383098965.
• Katyal, Anjum. Badal Sircar: Towards a Theatre of Conscience (A Series on Contemporary Indian Playwrights). New Delhi: SAGE Publications, 2015, 308 pages, ISBN 9789351503705.
• Kundu, Manujendra. So Near, Yet So Far: Badal Sircar's Third Theatre. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2016, 324 pages, ISBN 9780199464777.
• Roy, Pinaki. "The First Man of the Third Theatre: Badal Sircar". Insights into Indian English Fiction and Drama. Ed. Nawale, A. New Delhi: Access-Authors Press, 2012 (ISBN 978-81-921254-3-5), pp. 164–81.
• Roy, Pinaki. “Crusader against Hegemonies: A Brief Study of Badal Sircar”. Contemporary Indian Drama in English: Trends and Issues. Ed. Sarkar, J. New Delhi: Delta Book World, 2013 (ISBN 978-81-926244-0-2). pp. 23–42.
• Dasgupta Anjan, Badal Sircar’s Evam Indrajit: Issues of Writing, Reading and Narrativity. An Absurdist Celebration of plotlessness, edited by Jaydeep Sarkar, New Delhi: Delta Publication, 2013, ISBN 9788192624402.

External links[edit]

Evam Indrajit Summary

SuperSummary, a modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.  This one-page guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of Evam Indrajit by Badal Sircar.

Evam Indrajit is a 1963 three-act play by Indian dramatist and theater director Badal Sircar, first translated in 1975. Known for his anti-establishment plays written during the Naxalite movement in 1970s, his plays were often performed in the public arena and challenged conventions of Indian theater. His plays were heavily inspired by traditions of folk theater, while developing an identity of its own rooted in contemporary politics. Many of his plays lack a plot or concrete characterization, and the actors often chose their roles from performance to performance and even exchange them in the middle of the play. Audience participation is usually encouraged. Evam Indrajit is an abstract, absurdist play with a central theme of the monotony of a mechanical existence. It explores the writing process and the search for inspiration and something exciting to motivate creation. It was Sircar’s first drama after a string of comedies, and remains one of his most enduring works, especially outside of his native India.

The story of Evam Indrajit focuses on a writer, who narrates the story without ever being given a firm identity of his own. He struggles with writer’s block, striving to write his play but falling short and unaware of the root causes. He has never experienced life in its most primal way, instead being focused on his own experience as a writer. As such, he doesn’t have the material to write about, and instead focuses on the audience of the play. He attempts to write about them, but is frustrated there as well. He frequently becomes enraged and tears up his manuscripts. He finally finds inspiration in a woman named Manasi.

Like the writer, Manasi is not a character with her own characterization, but a representation. She represents the Indian counterpart of Carl Jung’s concept of Anima. This refers to an entity that serves as a pointer to the collective consciousness. Both the main characters and their concept of identity is frequently questioned, especially the writer Indrajit. He changes his preferred name multiple times in the play, and frequently expresses discontent with his identity. His persona splits between three names, Amal, Kamal, and Vimal.

He feels compelled to write, even at the cost of neglecting important bodily functions that he needs to live. He is obsessed with seeking a purpose in life. The play focuses on his life, his love and obsession with Manasi, and his growing revolutionary leanings against society. However, soon the ruling class and their attempt to impose order on his life begin to crush his spirit. His three personalities, Amal, Kamal, and Vimal each play different roles in society and are played for laughter as they struggle against society. Indrajit, in his persona as the writer, continues to resist, but eventually he becomes convinced that there is no escape from society’s clutches.

As the play reaches its final act, Indrajit attempts to seek meaning in exploring the world. He travels to London, but finds tht world just as unsatisfying as the life he left behind. He soon finds himself contemplating suicide but decides he is incapable of this as well. The play ends without bringing his story to any sort of conclusion, as Indrajit comes to the realization that the past and present are two ends of a single rope. The play is ultimately about the futility of life and the roles we all play in society.

Badal Sircar is considered one of the most prominent and influential modern Indian playwrights, having written more than fifty plays in a career that spanned fifty years. Born Sudhindra Sarkar in Calcutta, he received a degree in comparative literature from the Jadavpur University. However, it was while he was working as a town planner around the world that he entered theater. He is considered the founder of what is known as Third Theater, an experimental form of theater that involves direct communication with the audience and emphasizes expressionist acting along with realism. His first play, Bara Trishna, was performed in 1951 with him in the initial cast. He wrote Evam Indrajit a little over a decade later, and it was performed by the Shatabdi theater group, which he founded. As the years passed, he became one of the leading figures in street theater in Bengal, and his angry, anti-establishment plays became the voice of a generation. He criticized the government, the caste system, and overall problems in societies. His later plays, including an adaptation of the Howard Fast novel Spartacus, moved into traditional arena theater. He is one of India’s most decorated playwrights, willing the 1971 Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship in 1971, the Indian government’s Padma Shri award in 1972, and a 1997 lifetime achievement award by India’s National Academy for Music, Dance, and Drama. In 2009, two years before his death, Bada; Sircar’s life was celebrated in a five-day festival by India’s most prominent theater directors. Several of India’s most prominent film directors today have cited Sircar as their most significant inspiration.