Nilutpalgogoivilla

Nilutpal Gogoi talks with the first Assamese dramatist who has been honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi for ushering in modern and “shock therapy” techniques into the genre of script writing in Assamese
Since the fag end of the last millennium he has been given many epithets. While some traditionalists dubbed this serious thinker of dramaturgy as a maverick - “something of an enfant terrible” - there are others who hailed him as the harbinger of fresh and experimental trends into the genre of histrionics in Assam.
This conflict among the stage workers notwithstanding insofar as his status goes, one thing is for sure, this personality of varied experience has definitely granted a new direction to the movement of dramaturgy in Assam.
Since his foray into the rich tradition of Assamese drama in the 1960s, he more often than not, has been giving the Assamese society his mode of shock therapy. Arun Sarma’s modus operandi has been simple. He stands in the tradition of the absurd dramatists of Europe and juggles with strikingly bold symbols that are picked up from the world around us but which we generally opt to simply turn a blind eye to.
Incidentally Arun Sarma has been the third Indian after Bhishma Sahani and Dr. Chandrasekhar Kambar and the first Assamese dramatist to have been honoured with both the Sahitya Akademi and the Sangeet Natak Akademi awards. Sarma had won the Sahitya Akademi for his novel Aashirbadar Rang.
Noted critic Dr Satyendra Nath Sarma in the foreword to this dramatist’s compilation of selected plays wrote way back in 1974: “….Acquaintance with the dramatic trends of the world, familiarity with the existing stage conditions of Assam, creative urge, boldness in techniques backed by powerful dialogue are some of the assets that have contributed to the success of Sarma as a playwright.”
According to another eminent critic, Munin Borkotokey, Arun Sarma made his real debut as a serious playwright with his Sri Nibaran Bhattacharyya in 1967. This monumental play signified a portent in the Assamese theatre of the day and “he broke entirely new ground almost immediately after he had ‘arrived’ so to say.” Such eulogies for one who was then “yet in his thirties” speak volumes about his potential.
The best part of this dramatist who has been nominated for this year’s Sangeet Natak Akademi is that he has been always endeavouring to use his pen for uplifting the values of humanism and that too almost single handedly.
His magnum opus Sri Nibaran Bhattacharyya (written in 1961) was adjudged the best Assamese play for two years -1966 and 1967 -by the Asom Sahitya Sabha. It was earlier entitled Eiya Gadya and was meant as a radio play. In the words of the playwright: “ I would deem my efforts having borne fruits if I ever come across a deeply engrossed and analytical single member of the spectators who having witnessed the staging of this play at some place sometime, care to ponder about the fate of the protagonist who can be anyone among us…”
This and many of his trend-setting plays were successfully broadcast and also staged with the able expertise of his friend philosopher and colleague in All India Radio who himself is an accomplished worker of drama - Kulada Kumar Bhattacharyya.
Another of his memorable plays is Parashuram which created waves after being aired in AIR, Guwahati, a year after its composition in 1962 again under the direction of Bhattacharyya who had read out the protagonist’s dialogues. And 35 years later, it was taken to a cross-section of public of the State by the amateur theatre group Seagul. It also got invitation for two years to be staged at the Nandikar national drama fest in Calcutta and also at the Bharat Ranga Mahotsav held under the aegis of National School of Drama (NSD) in Delhi. The handwritten script of this play was first published in the literary magazine Gariyoshi.
The need of a visionary and creative producer and director and also artistes for making the dreams of script writers come true cannot be over emphasised. Arun Sarma has been lucky in this aspect particularly because he could have the expertise of not just Bhattacharyya but also Dulal Roy, Bahrul Islam and Bhagirathi besides their troupes.
In the foreword to his Aahar (written in 1964) Sarma refers to the times that were not quite receptive to the “invasion” of the so-called novel but modernist trends that were introduced in his plays. He terms them as “hostile”.
It is against this backdrop that the announcement of the Sangeet Natak Academy’s honour is but a welcome sign. “There has been a long-felt charge of the stage workers in Assam that they were being neglected at the national level. Now they are elated that their isolated but perennial strain of labour are also being taken note of,” said Sarma in an exclusive interview to The Assam Tribune.
Yet another of his memorable plays - the Kukurnesiya Manuh (written in 1912) - was first published in the Nilachal in 1965. It’s screening from the Guwahati Doordarshan drew rave reviews.
The sequel to Sri Nibaran Bhattacharyya is Agnigarh completed in 1966 and published also in the Gariyoshi. It was successfully staged in Guwahati under the direction of Anup Hazarika. Its star cast were Sanjiv Hazarika and Pakiza Begum while in its AIR version the main roles’ voices were rendered by Tapan Das and Santwana Bordoloi.
The play Aditir Atma Katah (2000) along with Agnigarh and Sri Nibaran Bhattacharyya form the triology.
Padma-Kunti Ityadi (1976) is made up of only women characters. It was written at the request of the city-based Mitali Sangha and was primarily meant to be staged on the World Women’s Day that very year. This play subsequently bagged the best prize in the competition held on the occasion.
Sarma’s children’s play Poster (1982) was scripted for the International Children’s Day. It is included in the collection of plays brought out by the National Book Trust.
Some of his other notable plays are Sthabar (AIR; 1956); Purush; Siyar; Buranji Path and Anya Ek Adhyay.
He was also the president of the Asom Natya Sanmilan.
Mentionably, Arun Sarma is the only Assamese playwright to be trained by the BBC. He had been trained in a five-month diploma course for radio programme in London during his youth. The Selfish Prince - one of his plays for children - was included in the Platinum Network of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) as a model programme in the BBC’s staff training courses.
Sarma was a visiting speaker of the Regional Staff Training Institute, AIR, Shillong also of the Media and mass Communication Institute, Guwahati.
On the present trend of Assamese drama, Sarma said: “Well. I am really optimistic. Just look at the tireless efforts of the many amateur theatre groups who are staging plays across the State even though they are cash strapped.
“Looked at from another angle, these akharas ensure that the youthful generation are gainfully and culturally engaged. Instead of whiling away their precious time or engaged in destructive activities, they are at least involved in intellectual pursuits.
“Moreover, we have a rich tradition of dramaturgy. This line is still quite strong.” Reflecting on the mobile theatre groups, the otherwise soft spoken bespectacled personality stated: “Yes, they have shown how the stage or the proscenium can be transformed into an industry. Today, they are giving employment to hundreds of talented people. Besides providing alternative sources of income to the artistes - including the script writers - these mobile theatre groups have been able to bring in professionalism into the trade. In the rural areas for instance, where there are no cinema halls, these groups bring in sources of entertainment.”
On the need for the government agencies to also chip in their mite to make the sector more viable and vibrant, Sarma said: The challenge from the electronic media is strong though it is not insurmountable. Plays can still be staged in the namghars or the other community halls. But the amateur theatre groups can readily bring in a change by periodically staging their works in locality schools as fund raisers for social activities. The charm of dramas can never be undermined by any other sources of entertainment!”
The All India radio has broadcast 42 of his plays. He has compiled and edited an anthology of Assamese Children’s Plays for the National Book Trust (NBT) as well as two volumes of 50 radio plays for the Assam Publication Board. He has published 10 of his own plays -- nine of which have featured in important literary magazines besides five novels and a collection of 13 selected plays.
Two of his dramas feature in the post-graduate Assamese syllabus - one in Gauhati University and the other in Dibrugarh University. While two of his plays were broadcast in the national programme of AIR, another four of his have been telecast from the Doordarshan including one in the national channel.
Sarma has further translated plays from Punjabi, Malayalam and Bengali as assigned and published by the NBT.
Dwelling on the need for translation of regional work into other languages including English, Sarma said: “Only good translators can take one’e cultural heritage and literary gems to the court of the connoisseurs across the globe. The more it is done the better for us.”
Seven of his tele-serials have been commissioned by Guwahati Doordarshan Kendra.
On whether he ever insists on being present at the premiere of his plays, Sarma smiled: “Count me out. I prefer to stay at home and later read the critical analyses if they at all come out in the periodicals. Of course during rehearsals I try to be there. But then it is really time consuming and pain-staking for me! Besides If I do not remain present at the rehearsals, that gives the directors ample opportunity to try out their own techniques and novelties.”
He has written five documentaries in English for the national channel of AIR besides the scripts for a documentary on Syed Abdul Malik (for the Sahitya Akademi) and the other on Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla for the national DDK programme. He has done two documentaries for the Governments of Assam and Meghalaya.
Mentionably, his play Sri Nibaran Bhattacharya has been included in the first volume of the Hundred Years of Modern Indian Literature published by the Sahitya Akademi. The Gariyoshi literary magazine published from the Assam Tribune group and edited by former president of Asom Sahitya Sabha Chandra Prasad Saikia, considered this play as one of the 20 most outstanding literary work of the 20th century based on a survey of readers across the State.
He has received the Sahitya Akademi award for his novel Ashirbadar Rang (1998) as well as the Asom Sahitya Sabha Award for the Best Playwright in Assamese Language in 1996 and ’97. In 1975, he received the ‘Sanglap sanman’ as the most important playwright in Assamese language.
On the ingredients of a good play, the playwright said: “Mix new ideas with strong dialogues and these at the hands of expert artistes can be ideal means for churning out good dramas reflecting on our lives and the ways of the world. But the ideas must not be too fantastic else they would be meant only for the cupboards and the intellectuals to dissect them at their leisure. The masses’ need and reach must always be kept in mind.”
Sarma’s Buds to Smile bagged the Japan Prize International for radio Documentary as well as the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union Award of his radio documentary Caution: Danger Ahead.
The Prix Futura Berline honoured him with its Commendation Certificate for the documentary All Lips to Smile.
In 2001, Sarma received the Asom Natya Sanmelan Award. His Kukurnesia Manuh got the Akashvani award. Its English version The Wolf Man has been published in the literary magazine (January-February 2003 issue) of the Sahitya Akademi.
The National School of Drama (NSD) has included Sarma’s Ahar (Food) in its compilation of dramas. The NSD staged this play in Delhi.
Sarma retired as director of All India Radio (NES). He also had a stint in journalism as the editor of Purbachal - a Guwahati-based Assamese weekly.
He also worked as director of Tea Centre, Indian Tea Association (ITA).
Moreover, Sarma was a former member of the Regional Advisory committee of the National Book Trust as well as of the Committee for Media Support to Education set up by the Union Ministry of Education and Committee for Radio Broadcasting for primary Education set up by NCERT and also in the governing body of the North East Zonal Cultural Centre, Government of India.
“Plays can be ideal means for spreading messages among the masses. More attention must be paid to this vital need,” the veteran stage personality concluded .
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(Words 2090)

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