PTNotes_Jun11

1
contd. on pg 2
I write this as the train pulls out of
Kozhikode with a sagging heart and knees
that are ready to explode. The two weeks
went much too swiftly. On my way in,
my simple agenda was to train in Kalari,
'the mother of martial art forms' - at the
Hindustan Kalari Sangham under the
tutelage of Lakshman Guruji for body
conditioning – to lose the flab a lazy
actor accumulates from inactivity. A
piece of advice here - summer is not
the best time of the year to train in
Kalarippayattu. If you are planning to do
this to yourself (although I can't imagine
why!) let me tell you the training is
rigorous. The oiled body sweats,
and how! By the end of the 10
minute warm up, you look
like you stepped out from
under the shower with
your clothes on! As
one teacher said,
"The sweat of the
students should
become
the water
washing
Everyone is engaged in the running of some
section of the Sangham or another. There
is the Vaidhyashala at the entrance and the
Kalari temple at the back. In the middle is
the Guruji's house and behind it are guest
rooms mostly taken up by students coming
in from all over the world. In my two weeks
there, I met a clown from Chile, a bunch
of actors, a very large dancer from North
Carolina who flew about weightlessly in the
Kalari, and a Polish couple cycling from
Kanyakumari to the Himalayas on a pair
of Hercules cycles! The Vaidyashala or the
treatment center sees anywhere between
150 to 200 patients a day. Classes in the
Kalari temple begins at 6 am and close at
9 pm. The kitchen almost never closes. But
the busiest person in the vicinity is Aravind
Swami, Lakshman Guruji's four year old son
who is forever running very purposefully
or wielding his wooden sword threatening
to cut to pieces any adversary. After four
hours of being cooked in the Kalari till your
behind is medium rare Aravind Swami's
energy can make your stomach turn. The
food however is great. Wholesome enough
to turn you into a horse.
I hadn't expected any insights at the
end of two weeks in the tantrik
practice of kalari nor had I
expected my chakras to awaken
and perform a spontaneous
musical concert. The only humming
I can accurately vouch for, is in
my hamstrings. But here is my
observation... Kalaripayattu is
meditation in movement, a
rigorous means to harness
the potential energies
of the body and the
mind... A discipline
of focused
practicing
of a set
at the Hindustan
Kalari Sangham
June '11Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, Juhu, Mumbai 400 049
Vol. XII Issue 6
Pg 1, 2 & 8 Centre Stage at the Hindustan Kalari Sangham
Pg 3 Back Stage with Anurupa Roy
Pg 4 & 5 What’s On in June
Pg 6 On the Road
Pg 7 Reflections
Centre Stage
The staff is an extension of the
natural line of the spinal column
maintained as one moves in and
out of basic poses. The hands
are kept in front of the body and
the body weight is always kept
forward, maximizing the range
of the staff to keep the opponent
at bay.
The Hindustan Kalari Sangham
in Kozhikode, Kerala recently
held their annual presentation.
Mallika Prasad recounts the
experiences of her Kalarippayattu
training and the presentation.
the Kalari floor." In summer, this, takes on
a whole new meaning. And if you are nuts
enough to do two sessions every day – one
in the morning and one in the evening –
beware of mosquitoes. They have been in
the Kalari a long time.
The Sangham is a bustling household.
There is a representative of all age groups.
Guru Lakshmanan
Gurukkal and Guru
Radhika Gurukkal
square off

2
of physical, mental and spiritual
techniques to unravel the secrets
of the power of the 'self'.
Mine was a crash course. At the
end of two weeks the Guruji has 'gifted'
six leg exercises, two sequences from
the Meypayattu which focuses on body
control, eight stances, four animal crawls,
a basic stick combat sequence and the
Vandanam or the Kalari Salutation.
The training and learning structure
or process is not linear. However there
is an order in which a beginner is
introduced to the martial techniques.
First comes the Vandanam. Like the
titles of a very well made film it is a
coded cup filled with the rich essence
of the elements of the entire form. The
more you practice it the more it reveals
possibility. And the best part of it is
that every single practitioner has her
own unique salutation true to her own
unique body built upon the same basic/
simple / sophisticated / grand structure!
Centre Stage contd. from pg 1 Apparently, this is true of the practice of
Kalaripayattu. Like creating your personal
philosophy and knowledge system drawing
from one hold-all meta system.
Then come the leg exercises. First of
whichisthe'straightlegs'.Allthemovement
I was introduced to is rooted in the spine.
Besides developing flexibility, balance, and
control of the body it fine tunes – if that
is the phrase – the reflex arc – the ability
to withdraw an initiated attack at any time
should the need arise. It seems, defense
comes easier than controlled attack.
With the legs comes the indomitable
Meypayattu. This is the reason my
hamstrings are singing, my knees exploding
and my spine feels like a wet cloth that's
been beaten, wrung and put out to dry. At
the end of the first hour the unrelenting
mud floor of the Kalari is adequately wet
with sweat. Next comes the kolkayattam
payattu – the long staff training. "The staff
is an extension of the natural line of the
spinal column maintained as one moves
in and out of basic poses. The hands are
The sweat of the students
should become the water
washing the Kalari floor.
Performance of Kamsa Vadam by the Mizhavu Kalari Ensemble
Guru Shatrughnan Gurukkal demonstrates a spear technique Radhika Gurukkal Usha Nangiar
kept in front of the body and the body
weight is always kept forward, maximizing
the range of the staff to keep the opponent
at bay" says Phillip Zarrilli in his article
Actualizing power(s) and crafting a self in
kalarippayattu. A student is first introduced
to wooden weapons - first the long staff,
later short stick – the cheruvadi and only
then does she advance to metal weapons
like the dagger, spear, sword and shield
and the Urmi or flexible sword. The last
is unarmed combat and locks – something
the body and mind has been preparing
for all along!
There is no grading in Kalari training.
When the Guru 'sees' that a student is
'ready' he introduces her to a new technique
or sequence or weapon. Upon the full
transmission of the system the practitioner
is handed over the 'Peetha' or the 'seat
of the Guru'. This is an acknowledgment
of the practitioner's mastery and a way
of granting permission to transmit the
knowledge she has earned and developed
now as her own.
As the two weeks came to a close my
departure coincided with the Gurukulam's
annual celebration in memory of Lakshman
Guruji's late father and teacher - Guru
Veerasree Sami Gurukkal on the 22nd of
May. A bouquet of events offered to an
open audience of neighbors, parents of
young students, practitioners, academics
and general malyali intelligentsia.
To quickly report – it began with a
beginners' demonstration – charmingly
rife with all the problems of untrained
bodies of all shapes, sizes and degrees of
cooking. I was also part of the opening
demonstration. And as pleased with
myself as the next eight year old. Then the
intermediate trainees exhibited prowess
in speed and agility. They were more sure
footed and looked a lot more sober at the
end of their demonstration. The morning
session closed on a very academic note
which was completely lost on me as it was
a discussion entirely in Malayalam. The
evening began with Sobana geetam. I am
sorry to say that I have even lesser to say
about this part of the function. Please look it
up or ask your friends from Kerala about it.
Now the highlights of the evening - Usha
Nangiar's Nangiyar Koothu and the grand
Kalari finale. Nangiarkoothu is an offshoot
of Koodiyattam. It is a solo performance
that apparently dates back 1500 years.
Nangiar koothu is the domain of female
artistes known from the Nangiar cast. As an
aside, caste and community plays a pivotal
role in the various schools of martial
Kalaripayattu is meditation in
movement, a rigorous means
to harness the potential
energies of the body and the
mind... A discipline of focused
practicing of a set of physical,
mental and spiritual techniques
to unravel the secrets of the
power of the 'self'.
contd. on pg 8

‘kTkqaa ppoT T/sT’ kI Anau$pa raya
jaao ipClao k[- saalaaoM sao pRqvaI iqayaoTr kI
summertime workshops sao
jauD,I hu[- hOM AaOr Apnao puppet shows
ko saaqa baccaaoM maoM kafI laaokip`ya hOM.
Puppetry ko baaro maoM ]nako AnauBava
AaOr ivacaar.

kuC samaya phlao maoro ja,hna maoM yao baat Aa[- ik
ihndI BaaYaa maoM iksaI BaI ‘ppoT’ kao ‘kzputlaI’ kha
jaata hO AaOr ihndI SabdkaoYa maoM [sako Alaavaa ‘ppoT’
ko ilae Saayad hI kao[- AaOr Sabd hao¸ pr eosaa @yaaoMÆ
‘kzputlaI’ yaanaI kaz yaa lakD,I sao banaI hu[- putlaI¸
pr putlaI tao kovala kaz sao nahIM Alaga Alaga caIjaaoM sao
BaI banatI hO. AaQauinak ‘ppoT’ hI nahIM bailk parMpirk
‘ppoT’ BaI camaD,o¸ kpD,o AaOr ima+I jaOsaI caIjaaoM sao banato
qao.tao yah Sabd Aayaa khaÐ saoÆ ‘kzputlaI ka Kola’
rajasqaana ko parmpirk putula klaa ka naama hO¸ [sakI
[-jaad kuC 400 saala phlao naagaaOr ³rajasqaana´ maMo hu[-
qaI. rajasqaana ko naaT BaaTaoM nao [sa klaa kI rKvaalaI
kI¸ 400 saalaaoM sao yah klaa ek pIZ,I sao dUsarI pIZ,I
kao Qaraohr maoM imalatI rhI. kha jaata hO ik naagaaOr
ko rajapUt rajaa Amar isaMh razaOD, ko rajyakala maoM [sa
klaa nao bahut tr@kI kI.rajaa Amar isaMh razaOD, nao [na
klaakaraoM kao hr trh sao pào%saaiht ikyaa¸ Saayad [saI
ilae Aaja BaI kzputlaI ko Kola maoM rajaa Amar isaMh
razaOD, ko drbaar kI Jalak idKtI hO.
tao rajasqaana kI laaokklaa ko naama pr ppoT klaa
kI pirBaaYaa kOsao bana ga[-Æ @yaa yah Baart kI ek maa~
putula klaa hOÆ jaI nahIM¸ Baart maoM Aaja 18 parmpirk
putula klaayaoM hOM¸ [namaooM sao rajasqaana kI kzputlaI ek
hO¸ [sako Alaavaa QaagaaoM sao calanao vaalao k[- putula Baart
maoM pae jaato hOM jaOsao baMgaala ka ‘taror putula’¸ Aasaama ka
‘saUtaor putula’¸ AaMQà p`doSa ka ‘kaoyaa baaogmaala+a’ AaOr
]D,Isaa ka ‘saKI kuMQa[-’ .
k[- ppoT/I ivaSaoYa&aoM ka maananaa hO ik sabasao puranaI
ppoT tknaIk ‘Cayaa putula’ hO¸ Saayad kBaI iksaI AadI
maanava nao Aaga ko pasa baOzo hue dUsaraoM kao khanaI saunaato
hue ‘Cayaa putula’ ka [jaad ikyaa hao. maharaYT/ ko
‘cama`caIe bahuilae’ kao sabasao puranaI ‘Cayaa putula’ prmpra
maanaa jaata hO. [sako Alaavaa hO ‘ravaNa Cayaa’¸ korla
Back Stage
with Anurupa Roy
3
ka ‘qaaola pavaa kUqqaU’ AaOr knaa-Tk ka
‘taogaalaU gaagbaya+a’ BaI hO¸ yah saba dao sao Za[-
saaO saala puranaI prMprae hOM .
pr [tnaI p`kar kI iBanna prmpraeM haonao
ko baavajaUd ppoT kao rajasqaana kI kzputlaI ko
naama sao hI @yaaoM jaanaa jaata hOÆ Saayad [saka
karNa yah hO ik jahaÐ baakI kI parmpirk
putula klaayaoM Apnao functions sao jaUJa rhI hOM
AaOr vah Apnao xao~aoM sao eosao jauD,o hO ik kBaI dUsarI
jagah ka safr kr nahIM pae¸ ]dahrNa ko taOr pr
‘qaaola pavaa kUqqaU’ isaf- Bad`kalaI maindraoM maoM hO p`stut
kI jaatI hO @yaaoMik yah p`stutI dovaI kI pUjaa ka
ek ja,$rI ihssaa hO. Aaja BaI 21 idnaaoM tk ka
ramaayaNa Kola korla ko Bad`kalaI maindraoM maoM hI haota
hO. Par rajasqaana ko naT BaaTaoM nao jagah jagah GaUmato hue
kzputlaI ka Kola idKa kr laaogaaoM kI smaRtI maoM ApnaI
jagah banaa laI hO¸ Saayad ]nakI [saI p`vaRtI sao yaanaI GaUma
GaUma kr Kola idKanao kI vajah sao hI vah [tnao maSahUr
BaI hue AaOr ‘ppoT/I’ ka naama ‘kzputlaI’ sao jauD, gayaa.
Aba caaho ‘ppoT/I’ khoM yaa ‘putula klaa’¸ saccaa[- tao
yah hO ik [na klaaAaoM ka &ana lauPt haota jaa rha
hO. [saka sabasao baD,a karNa hO ik laaok klaaAaoM ko
pìt laaogaaoM kI $ica kma haotI jaa rhI hO¸ Saayad Aba
iksaI ko pasa 21 idnaaoM ka Saao doKnao ka va@t nahIM rha
yaa ifr TI vaI AaOr isanaomaa doKnaa iksaI BaI ijavant
p`stuit doKnao sao j,yaada Aasaana hO. karNa kuC BaI rha
hao pr ppoT/I nao ipClao 50 saalaaoM maoM k[- samasyaaAaoM ka
ikyaa jaaeÆ saaqa hI kzputilayaaoM
ko Alaavaa Anya ppoT kI klaaAaoM kao
kOsao dSa-kaoM ko samaxa laayaa jaaeÆ [sa saMGaYa-
maoM ppIiTyar-sa ka saaqa do rha hO pRqvaI iqayaoTr.
ipClao k[- saalaaoM sao ‘ppoT iqayaoTr’ pRqvaI iqayaoTr
ko ]%savaaMo ka ihssaa rha hO.[na ]%savaao maoM doSa
ivadoSa ko k[- jaanao maanao klaakar ApnaI ppoT
p`stuityaaÐ lao kr kr ko Aae.pRqvaI ka sabasao baD,a
yaaogadana rha ik baccaaoM ko ilae samarTa[ma maoM ppoT
kI vak-Saa^p AaOr Saao rKnaa. [sa trh yah klaa
baccaaoM tk phucaaÐ kr ]namaoM $ica pOda kr rho hOM¸
yahI baccao Aagao cala kr BaavaI dSa-k banaoMgao.
ipClao C: saalaaoM sao maOM pRqvaI pr
summertime workshop
conductor rhI hUÐ. hr saala maOM baosabaÌ sao
ApÒlaÀ ma[- mahInao ka [Mtjaar krtI hUÐ AaOr vak-
Saa^p ko phlao idna hmaoSaa nervous haotI hUÐ¸
jaba vak-Saa^p ko phlao idna baccao Apnao maata ipta
ko saaqa Aato hOM¸ tba maoro idmaaga maMo hmaoSaa yao savaala
]zta hO ik ‘@yaa [nhoM vak-Saa^p AcCa lagaogaaÆ
@yaa hma imala kr kuC eosaa banaa paeoMgaoM ijasasao [na baccaaoM
kao puppetry sao gahra lagaava hao jaaeÆ’ k[- baar
eosaa BaI haota hO jaba vak-Saa^p ko AaiKrI idna baccao
Apnao banaae ppoT ka p`d-Sana krto hOM tao lagata hO ik
hma lambao Asao- sao saaqa kama kr rhoM hOM. k[- baar tao
baccao Apnao hI kama kao doK kr AaSca-ya caikt rh
jaato hOM. Giant puppet workshop
maoM tao yah hr baar yah huAa hO ik baccaaoM kao Kud hI
yakIna nahIM Aata ik yah 8 sao 10 fIT vaalao ppoT
yaa miniature ]nhaoMnao Kud nao banaayaa AaOr calaayaa.
vah xaNa pUro vak-Saa^p saIKnao saIKanao ko saMGaYa- kao
maanya kr dota hO.
mauJao baD,a AcCa lagata hO jaba [sa Anajaana maumba[-
maoM mauJao Acaanak kao[- eosaa imala jaata hO ijasanao pRqvaI
iqayaoTr maoM kBaI kao[- kTkqaa ka kao[- Saao doKa haota
hO AaOr vahaÐ sao pòirt hao vah Agalao saala ppoT kI
samarTa[ma vak-Saa^p maoM Aae.
ppoT ka saaÐsa laonaa¸ hÐsanaa¸ raonaa¸
gaussaa haonaa kovala dSa-k kI klpnaa maa~
hO. ppoT kI sabasao Kasa baat hI yah hO
ik vah isaf- doKnao vaalao kI klpnaa maoM
AaOr calaanao vaalao kI inayat maoM jaIta hO.
saamanaa ikyaa hO¸ ppoT/I kao kovala non serious gaOr
saMjaIda maaQyama maanaa jaata rha hO. [sao maolaaoM¸ SaaidyaaoM
AaOr janmaidna kI paiT-yaaoM maoM manaaorMjana tk saIimat samaJaa
jaata hO¸ yaa ifr saIK donao ka Aasaana trIka yaa
maaQyama maanaa jaata hO.tao ppoT maoM eosa @yaa Kasa hOÆ
yah Saayad maoro ilae samaJaanaa¸ isaf- SabdaoM maoM samaJaanaa
Aasaana nahIM hO¸ ifr BaI maOM ek ]dahrNa donaa caahUÐgaI.
baccaaoM kao tao ppoT pMsad Aato hI hOM pr k[- baar Saao ko
baad baD,o laaoga Aa kr ko hma sao khto hOM ik jaOsao ]nhoM
lagaa ik ‘flaaM ppoT flaaM saIna maoM rao rha qaa’ ¸yaa ifr
]nhoM ppoT ko emotions AaOr expressions
Baa gae.eosao samaya maoM maOM hmaoSaa mana hI mana mauskuratI
hUÐ @yaaoMik ek ppoT maoM kao[- emotion yaa
expressions nahIM haoto vaao tao inaija-va haoto hOM AaOr
yah hr vyasak jaanata hO ik puppeteer kovala ]sao
calaa kr jaIivat haonao ko kuC cue dota hO¸ baakI saba
doKnao vaalaaoM ko idmaaga ka Kola hO.ppoT ka saaÐsa laonaa¸
hÐsanaa ¸raonaa¸ gaussaa haonaa kovala dSa-k kI klpnaa maa~
hO. ppoT kI sabasao Kasa baat hI yah hO ik vah isaf-
doKnao vaalao kI klpnaa maoM AaOr calaanao vaalao kI inayat maoM
jaIta hO tao [sa laaok klaa kao kOsao laaogaaoM maoM p`cailat

Plays for the Month of June 2011 at Prithvi Theatre Partners@Prithvi
June
Alliance Française@
Prithvi
[3rd Wed]
Rendez-vous avec le cinéma français
Wed 15 | 7 pm | Prithvi House
COURS DU SOIR (1967) - 27 mIn
Directed by: Jacques Tati
A 30-minute film where Tati is teaching an evening
course on mime to a class of would-be actors, an oddly
sophisticated bunch of students (no student in the
room is without a jacket and tie) and features some of
his best-known bits from both earlier films and his time
on the stage. This involves showing off impressions
of smokers, fishermen, horse riders, etc., including,
perhaps, his most famous impression, the postman…
PEN@ Prithvi
[2nd Sat]
Literary encounters
NO PEN@PRITHVI THIS MONTH
Caferati
[4th Tue]
Open-mic @ Prithvi Café
Tue 28 | 7 pm | Prithvi Café
You are invited to recite, declaim, sing, dance, perform
in any way you like 2 minutes of your own work.
Sign up at the Prithvi Café at least 30 minutes before
start time to be eligible
Moving Platform's
DINNER WITH FRIENDS (A)
Writer: Donald Marguilles
Director: Feroz Abbas Khan
EnglishWed 1 9 pm
Thu 2 9 pm Arpana's
S*X, M*RALITY ANS CENS*RSHIP
Developed by: Shanta Gokhale
& Irawati Karnik
Director: Sunil Shanbag
Hindi
A play about four friends; two married couples,
at different ages and stages of their lives.
An unusual theatre work exploring one of the most
controversial issues of our time – morality and censorship.
Hindi
Sat 4
Sat 4
Sun 5
11 am
6 pm & 9 pm
5 pm & 8 pm
Proscenium's
TWO BLIND MICE
Arpana's
STORIES IN A SONG
Based on: Waiting for Gadot Written
By: Samuel Beckett
Adapted By: Chandan Roy Sanyal
Director: Chandan Roy Sanyal
Writer: Aslam Parvez, Ashok Mishra,
Vikram Phukan & Anil Deshmukh,
Conceived by: Shubha Mudgal
Director: Sunil Shanbag
English /
Hindi
Hindi /
English
Vladimir & Estragon escape from a juvenile home and
wait fruitlessly for someone named Godot to take them
away from their miserable lives.
A musical collage of theatre, literature and history.
An encanting love story with captivating music & lyrics set in
a time long forgotten. An unexpected blend of laughter & tears
Eve Ensler's funny, poetic & poignant
look at the inimitable lives of women
6 pm & 9 pm
5:30 pm & 7:30 pm
6 pm & 9 pm
9 pm
High-pot-in-use-tri-angle's
ME GRANDAD 'AD AN ELEPHANT
Poor Box Productions'
THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES
Based on novel by:
Vaikom Mohammed Basheer
Adapted by: Ahlam Khan
Director: Digvijay Savant
Writer: Eve Ensler
Director: Mahabanoo Modi Kotwal
& Kaizaad Kotwal
English
English
Tue 7
Fri 10
Wed 8
Fri 3
This is the story of Moyna and at the same time the story
of so many children, who always ask the question ‘Why?’
6 pm & 9 pm
9:30 pm
11 am
KISSA YONI KA
Gillo's
KYUN KYUN LADKI
Writer: Eve Ensler
Translated: Ritu Bhatia & Jaydeep Sarcar
& Kaizaad Kotwal
Based on: Mahashweta Devi's writings
Writer & Director: Shaili Sathyu
Choreographer: Hamsa Moily
Hindi
Thu 9
Fri 10
Sat 11
Writers: Shaili Sathyu, Poorna, Ishaa &
Ankita Director: Shaili Sathyu
Gillo's
SUAR CHALA SPACE KO
Hindi
5:30, 7:30 & 9:30 pm
11 am
9 pm
Sat 11
Sun 12
Sun 12
Fri 17
Wed 15
A silly-smelly science-fantasy about a pig and his friends
who travel to outer space! The story touches upon friendship,
adventure and of the ‘swine flu’!
9 pm
6 pm & 9 pm
9 pm
11 am & 6 pm
9 pm
4 pm & 8 pm
9 pm
6 pm & 9 pm
11 am
9 pm
9 pm
Writer & Director: Ajay Krishnan
Writers: Zaheda Hina
Adapted & Director: Ramesh Talwar
Writer: Trishla Patel, Sanjay Dadhich,
Purva Naresh
Director: Trishla Patel
Writer: Dhiruben Patel
Director: Manoj Shah
Writer: Vinit Shulka
Based on: Satish Aalekar's Begum Barve
Writer: Chandrakant Shah Director :
Manoj Shah
Dramatised: Raju Dave & Manoj Shah
Designed & Director: Salim Ghouse
Harami Theatre Bangalore's
BUTTER AND MASHED BANANA
Ipta's
KABULIWALA LAUT AAYA
T.Pot Production's
CHAAR SMALL
Idea Unlimited's
MUMMY TU AAVI KEVI?
Idea Unlimited's
MAREEZ
Idea Unlimited's
MASTER PHOOLMANI
Idea Unlimited's
APURVA AVSAR
Phoenix Players'
STILL LIFE
English
Hindi
Hindi /
English
Gujarati
Gujarati
Gujarati
BHAVANS (BHARATIYA VIDHYA BHAVAN) Dr KM Munshi Marg, Chowpatty, Mumbai 400007 Tel: 2369 8085 / 2363 1261 Please see play details in PT schedule above or www.prithvitheatre.org
Gujarati
English
A hilarious take on censorship in India. About what we
are allowed to say, and what we are not. And why!
Tagore’s famous story about a homesick Afghani
and his friendship with a little girl in Kolkata.
Chaar Small deals with four original short plays... Seven year old
'Dadu tiwari' comes to mumbai...'Do deewaaney' reach for happiness
in this city of dreams.. For another couple things are 'Same same but
different'.. and how some things have 'Laash-ting impressions'
Convent children trying to modernize there gujju mom, realize
later on they were better off with their traditional mother.
A play about a deep and serious exploration of the
poetic impulse based on the life of Mareez.
An engaging story of pleasant fantasy & harsh reality
so finely blended together that the play evolves as an
overwhelming emotional experience.
Based on the life of Shrimad Rajchandra (1867-1901) – a
contemporary thinker, a great philosopher, a brilliant poet, self
realized saint and “Prayogveer”.
Three great litterateurs…. Three different genres.. Three
protagonists on edge. The search for meaning understanding
and love… and the mystery called life
Tue 14
Sat 18
Tue 21
Sat 25
Sat 25
Sun 26
4 pm
4 pm
4 pm
Working Title's ONCE UPON A TIGER English
aRanya's MUMTAZ BHAI PATANGWALE Hindi
Ideas Unlimited's MUMMY TU AAVI KEVI Gujarati
Thu 9
Sun 12
Sat 11
4 pm
4 pm
8 pm
4 pm
4 pm
Motley's ARMS & THE MAN English
Akvarious Production's A SPECIAL BOND English / Hindi
Akvarious Production's A SPECIAL BOND 2 English / Hindi
Yatri's LADDOO GOPAL Hindi
Ranga Theatre's WONDERLAND - "THE ALICE & DON QUIXOTE STORY" Hindi
Thu 2
Fri 3
Sun 5
Mon 6
4 pm
4 pm
Proscenium's TWO BLIND MICE English
Gillo's KYUN KYUN LADKI Hindi
Tue 7
Wed 8
Sat 4
Sun 19
Wed 22
Thu 23
Sun 26
Fri 24
Thu 16
FREE unless mentioned otherwise.
Vikalp@Prithvi
[Last Mon]
Documentaries and short film screenings
Mon 27 | 7 pm | Prithvi House
JULIANO MER KHAMIS
Written and directed by Juliano Mer Khamis and
Danniel Danniel
On the West Bank, Arna Mer Khamis opened an alternative
education system for children whose regular life was disrupted
by the Israeli occupation. The theatre group that she started
engaged children from Jenin, helping them to express their
everyday frustrations, anger, bitterness and fear. Arna's son
Juliano filmed the children during rehearsal periods from 1989
to 1996. Now, he goes back to see what happened to them.
Juliano, looks back in time in Jenin, trying to understand the
choices made by the children he loved and worked with.
Thespo@Prithvi
[Last Tue & Wed]
Theatre by youth (Tickets Rs 80) Workshop for youth
NO THESPO WORKSHOP THIS MONTH
Chai & Why?
[1st Sun]
TIFR creates accessible discussions of
interesting scientific issues
Sun 5 | 11 am | Prithvi Theatre
The Sound of Music
Prof. Ashish Arora and Sindhumandari, TIFR
For as long as science has existed it has sought to understand
music. How is sound produced in musical instruments?
Why doesn’t a sitar sound like a flute? How do we sing? Can
computers help us understand music? Come along and find out!
Prithvi Corpus Fund Patron
P* Premier Show
• NO LATE ADMITTANCE.
• No refund or exchange of tickets.
• Children below 6 years not allowed.
• NO PARKING INSIDE JANKI KUTIR.
• PAY & PARK OPP MAHESH LUNCH HOME.
• This program is subject to change.
• Box Office timings 1 pm - 9 pm.
NotesHome Delivery:
3989 5050
Online booking:
www.bookmyshow.com
www.prithvitheatre.com
PlaysatBhavans(Bharatiya
VidyaBhavan),Chowpatty
THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES
Writer: Eve Ensler
& Kaizaad Kotwal
English
9 pm Writer: Girish Karnad
Director: Roysten Abel
Rage's
FLOWERS
English A dramatic monolgue about a devoted and pious priest who violates
both his ‘dharma’ and his ‘bhakti’ because of his love for a courtesan.
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
P*
P*

came forward to help, knowing fully well
the dedication, sincerity and transparency
with which the Pratisthan had worked all
these years. Their reputation, reliability
and consistency played a vital role in
harnessing this support. MLA Pramod
Jathar, Rashtrawadi leader Sandesh Parkar,
Corporator Rupesh Narwekar, Professors
Lalasaheb Ghorpade and Anil Pharakate,
Adv Pradnya Khot, Adv Deepak Andhare
of the local Rotary club and Rajan Lingras
of the Eureka Club contributed generously.
Within 15 days the money was gathered and
the festival got underway.
The plays invited to perform this year
were: Mister Behram-Kalakendra, Pune;
Ghodyan Pudhe Geli - Awishkar, Mumbai;
Ratradin Amha...!- Sai Kiran Productions;
and Jatretla Giant - Sanhita and Kimaya
Productions, Pune.
The contributors and members have
vowed to continue their support even for
the coming years to keep this programme
afloat. It is certainly a time to rejoice and
celebrate theatre.
66
Dr. Ajay Joshi writes in on a
wonderful instance of the audience
rallying behind a theatre group to
save a festival.
“No theatre performance is complete sans
audience” - is a statement which often goes
unchallenged, and at other times sounds a
bit clichéd. Many instances are cited when
brilliant performances are rendered or
theatre movements successfully launched,
all catering to the masses and often
to standing ovations. The relationship
between the theatre and the audience has
grown over the years, often deciding the
fate of plays. But rarely does one come
across an occasion when an audience, which
has been entertained and nurtured to be a
part of the larger theatre fraternity, stands
strong behind a theatre group in difficult
times. This was precisely what transpired
recently in a small town Kankawli, in the
Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra.
On the Road
Snippet
Scenes from the festival
They have had a die-hard
audience for their programmes
and an extremely dedicated
group of youngsters to keep the
show going.
The contributors and
members have vowed to
continue their support even
for the coming years to keep
this programme afloat.
musical concerts, art displays and other
such activities are also on their agenda.
For the last two years their one act
play competition, the Nath Pai Aikankika
Spardha, was a much sought after activity,
both for children and amateur artistes.
It created a strong platform for artistes
from the surrounding towns to showcase
their work. Another programme is the
annual theatre festival in the first half of
the year, which they have been conducting
without fail for the past 18 years, bringing
to audiences the best of Marathi and at
times Hindi theatre. They have had a die-
hard audience for their programmes and an
extremely dedicated group of youngsters to
keep the show going. The last 28 years of
the group's existence has seen this business
town, transformed into a cultural center of
repute. Of late they have saved up to have
their very own open-air theatre, where all
these shows take place.
This year though, the theatre festival
ran into rough weather. Mounting costs
of transportation, honorarium to the
groups, accommodation and other sundry
expenses, chewed heavily into the carefully
and meticulously built corpus over the
years. The festival failed to raise the
required amount of one and a half lakh
rupees. Reluctantly the management had to
take the thorny decision to discontinue the
programme. Having served the audiences
to the best of their capacity, bringing the
crème of theatre to their doorstep, this
came as a rude jolt to the strong network
of audiences, so painstakingly built by the
group. Viewing plays of varied forms and
topics had brought a different kind of
sensibility amongst the viewers, helping
them identify with contempory issues and
fast changing socio-political and cultural
scenario. After the initial shock wore
off and realising the helplessness of the
Pratisthan, some prominent members of
the audience rallied to tackle the crisis.
A meeting of all the members was
arranged by the Pratisthan highlighting their
plight. After much discussion, a proposal
to start a family membership of Rs 1000
was floated and also to raise the individual
membership from Rs 250 to Rs 400. This
was accepted with much enthusiasm. On
hundred and twenty two families, as against
the expected 75, registered with the family
membership. When the problem appeared
in the local press, many more local groups
The principal theatre group in this
picturesque town, the Vasantrao Achrekar
Sanskritic Pratisthan, has been functional
for years, having got its first impetus from a
Ford Foundation grant and later the Ratan
Tata Trust fund. Many tears and years
later it has bloomed beautifully and is a
prominent landmark in the theatre scene of
Maharashtra, being a prestigious place for
any artist to perform. Apart from holding
regular workshops, seminars, writer's
workshops, children’s theatre, regular
productions; they also have their own library
of books, a script bank, and have given
financial assistance for research on folk arts
like Dashavatar, Lalit and Chitrakathi etc.
Regular visits by the who’s who of theatre,
Adishakti invites applications for
the Source of Performance Energy
Workshops to be held in July 2011. There
will be two 10 day workshops between
July 1-9 and July 17-26. This residential
workshop will be held on the Adishakti
campus, Pondicherry. The number of
participants is limited to 20 persons per
workshop. The training seeks to feed
the physical, vocal and psychological
expression of the actor based on certain
physical forms like Kalaripayattu the
Kerala martial art form, breath practices
for psychological expression used in
Koodiyattam a form of classical Sanskrit
Theatre and the rhythm patterns of
music which accompany Koodiyattam
performance. The workshop aims to
equip the participant in the basics of these
physical crafts and to be autonomous
in applying and extending this praxis
towards their own performance practice.

Hearing the Notes That Aren't Played
My piano lessons began 50 years ago,
in September 1951. My teacher was an
Austrian martinet - Isadore Buchalter. He
told my family that he had hopes for me,
that I was somewhat musical, but that I
couldn't learn to read.
I realized, 40-plus years later, that I wasn't
cursed with indolence, but that I couldn't
see the notes. I was hopelessly myopic. I
got my first eyeglasses when I was 8, but by
then I had quit the piano.
Around 1963 my lessons continued
when I had the great fortune to meet
Louise Gould. She sat me down and had
me playing triads, and triads with the octave,
both hands, up and down the keyboard.
She used this simple exercise to show me
the cycle of fifths, and its additions,
subtraction,alterations,
inversions, which are
the foundations of
music theory. I realized
that my toddler piano
lessons had taught
me to play without
reading, to fake it, to
play by ear.
I played four hands
one afternoon with
Randy Newman. I apologized for rushing. I
saidIwassuchamusicaldoofusthatIalmost
felt as if I had to "count." He stopped and
looked at me a bit in incomprehension and
said, "Everyone counts." He also taught me
to hear the passing tone, to listen for it, as it
was driving the music.
Joel Silver produced several of my wife's
records, and I got a priceless tip from him:
"Leave out the third - we hear it anyway."
The passing tone and the excised third
opened up a new world to me. I began to
get (timorously) bold, to eschew the first
inversion and the keys of F and C major.
The Stoics cautioned us to keep our
philosophical precepts few and simple,
as we might have to refer to them at a
moment's notice. These tips became my
philosophical principles, and they forced
me to slow down and think.
I remember Bensinger's pool hall in
Chicago, in the 60's, and the hustler-
instructor who taught: If you can see more,
don't shoot. Same idea.
People say the great genius of Nat
Cole was his ability to accompany himself
on the piano, that he understood that
most delicate and intricate duet and its
demand for spaciousness, for elegance. "We
hear it anyway."
This is the genius of Bach, and the
overwhelming demand of dramaturgy -
this understanding, or its lack, divides those
who can write from those who can really
write: how much can one remove, and still have the
composition be intelligible?
Chekhov removed the plot. Pinter, elaborating,
removed the history, the narration; Beckett, the
characterization. We hear it anyway.
It is in our nature to elaborate, estimate,
predict - to run before the event. This is the
meaning of consciousness; anything else
is instinct. Bach allows us to run before,
and his resolutions, as per Aristotle, are
as inevitable (as they must be, given the
strictures of Western compositional form)
and surprising as his elaborate genius.
We are thus delighted and instructed,
as per Freud, in a nonverbal way, as to
the varieties of perception, possibility,
completion - we are made better. Our
consciousness, listening to Bach, has been
rewarded, refreshed, chastised, soothed - in
Bach and Sophocles both, the burden of
consciousness has momentarily been laid
down.
Both legitimate modern drama (Pirandello,
Ionesco) and the trash of performance art
build on the revelation that omission is a form
of creation - that we hear
the third anyway - that the
audience will supply the plot.
But our experience
of such can be, at best, a
smug joy.
We listen to some
concert pianist improvise
waterfall arpeggios for
an hour, or view puerile
performances and, though
we may leave the theater smiling, we are
left poorer, for we celebrated not the divine
but the ability of the uninspired to ape the
divine. This is idolatry.
We rejoice both in the familiar and
the surprising. Music, drama, circus, the
creation of all the performing arts proceeds
from researched or intuited understanding
of the nature of human perception, thesis-
antithesis-synthesis: I can fly from one
trapeze to another. But can I do a triple
somersault? Yes. No. Yes.
Much Modern art is either a slavish
reiteration of the form (musical comedy)
its slavish rejection (action painting). Yes,
it is true that life would be better if we
were all a little kinder, and it is true that
paint spattered in the air will fall to the
ground. Both are true, but who would have
suspected that they were notable?
The commandments are the same: leave
out the third, concentrate on the missing
tone. Yes, we know that in the key of G a C
chord would like to resolve to G. How does it
get there? The ardor to address this question
accounts for the genius of Beckett and also
of Vernon Duke, Prokofiev, Kurt Weill.
The fascinating question of Art: What is
between A and B?
David Mamet's elegant essay
elaborates on omission as a form
of creation and the aesthetics of
minimalism.
7
Reflections Snippet
Yes, our theatre has become a theatre
of change. A long voyage- Spartacus,
Michhil, Bhoma, Bhanga Manush, many
other plays. We came out of the
proscenium stage in 1972, five years
after the inception of Satabdi, twenty
years after the beginning of my
involvement in theatre. The immediate
reason was that of communication-we
wanted to break down the barriers and
come closer to the spectators, to take
full advantage of direct communication
that theatre as a live-show offers. We
wanted to share with our audience the
experience of joint human action. But
in taking that course we also found our
theatre outside the clutches of money.
We could establish a free theatre,
performing in public parks, slums,
factories, villages, wherever the people
are, depending on voluntary donations
from the people for the little expenses
we needed. We stopped using sets,
spotlights, costly costumes, make-
up-not as a matter of principle, but
because we realized that they are not
essentials, even if sometimes necessary.
We concentrated on the essentials-the
human body and the human mind. Our
theatre became a flexible, portable and
inexpensive-almost free-theatre.
The indigenous folk theatre
of India, strong, live, immensely
loved by the working people of the
country, propagates themes that are
at best irrelevant to the life of the
toiling masses, and at worst back-
dated and downright reactionary. The
proscenium theatre that the city-bred
intelligentsia imported from the West
constitutes the second theatre of our
country, as it runs parallel to the folk
theatre-the first theatre-practically
without meeting. This theatre can be
and has been used by a section of
educated and socially conscious people
for propagating socially relevant
subjects and progressive values, but
it gets money-bound and city-bound,
more and more so as costs go on
rising, unable to reach the real people.
Historically there appears to be a need
for a third theatre in our country-
a flexible, portable, free theatre as a
theatre of change, and that is what
we are trying to build. This theatre
is not an experimentation in form;
we have no concern for taking theatre
as an such exploration new forms
often emerge.
Badal Sircar
The Drama Review:
Vol. 26, No. 2,
Intercultural Performance
(Summer, 1982)

8
Published for private circulation by Sanjna Kapoor for Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, Mumbai 400 049.
Tel 2614 9546 Email ptnotes@prithvitheatre.org Web www.prithvitheatre.org
The views expressed in PT Notes are those of the authors. PT Notes is available online at www.prithvitheatrenotes.blogspot.com
and is available for download at www.prithvitheatre.org
Editor in chief Shanta Gokhale Executive Editor Ram Ganesh Kamatham Design Ka Designs Illustrations Sachin Jadhav
Write in! Email us at
ptnotes@prithvitheatre.org
or snail mail at
Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir,
Juhu Church Road,
Mumbai 400 049
Centre Stage contd. from pg 2
Kalaripayattu deities and weapons
Traditionally, knowledge
systems, practices and recipes
are heavily guarded and not
easily shared.
arts, medicine and performance practices.
Traditionally, knowledge systems, practices
and recipes are heavily guarded and not
easily shared. This is where a laboratory
like Adishakti becomes important to me
because it decodes and makes available a
set of performance tools and techniques
embedded in performance cultures like
Koodiyattam that help me enrich my
own expression as an actor rooted in the
urban performance space. My first real
engagement with Kalari and Koodiyattam
happened at the Adishakti Source of
Performance Energy Workshop in 2010.
Usha Nangiyar, one of the finest
exponents of Nangiar Koothu has over
three decades of experience in performing
Nangiar Koothu and Kutiyattam. She is
dubbed as an artiste synonymous with
her art form. Hers is a family ensemble.
Husband – Hariharan is literally her other
'self' in performance. He is a complete rock
star with the Mizhavu which he plays in
blissful unison to her every breath. Often
one can't tell in whose body the breath
begins. Her daughter Aathira, keeps time
and watches unblinking – continuously
training. Although this family tradition of
performance practice is not unfamiliar, it
strikes me, an urban practitioner as one
of our vital differences in practice. Aptly,
they chose to perform 'Kamsa Vadam' at
the Kalari Sangham. Kamsa Vadham or the
killing of Kamsa the ruler of Mathura, who
is the maternal uncle of Lord Krishna is
an eventful episode from the famed fables
of Lord Krishna. I remember it from my
days with Amar Chitra Katha which I have
to say is the reason I followed a little bit
about of performance. The hand gestures,
facial expressions, and body movements
are very deeply coded and the detailed
explanation before the performance is –
yes, in Malayalam. Kamsa Vadham as are
all performances in the Nangiyar Koothu,
exploits and stories depicting the life of
Lord Krishna. Usha Nangiyar is thoroughly
entertaining as she gets steadily and
increasingly more gory in her confrontation
with Kamsa and his wrestling cronies.
She annihilates Kamsa, the wrestlers, an
elephant and several adversaries – wiping
(figuratively) the Kalari floor with each
of them. There is much evocative blood
spilling, bone breaking and body flinging in
Usha Nangiyar's vadam of the arrogant baby
killer and dictator of Mathura. Hariharan
matches her action packed performance,
beat for beat with many flourishes thrown
in with his sensational hundred hands
Mizhavu playing. And Kalamandalam
Rajeev complements him effortlessly. I
loved how the Mizhavu players make real
the various bodies bouncing and landing as
they get put into orbit and flung a virtual
mile away from the site of the fight.
Thentherearethosenuggetsof beautifully
suspended pure emotional moments of the
Gopikas bidding farewell to their beloved
Krishna and when Krishna's grandfather
Ugrasena the real king of Madhura as well
as his own real parents, who were under
arrest are released.
The grand finale of the evening was
when the family ensemble of the Sangham
descended into Kalari for a demonstration -
Lakshman Guruji, Shatrughan Guruji, their
sister Radhika and all the senior students
of the Kalari. They went through the basic
exercises, the stances, the Meypayattu, and
a combination of armed combat scenarios
– sword versus sword, sword and buckler
versus spear, and dagger versus dagger.
When you see the seasoned practitioner you
'see' that practice and meditation teaches
the body a continuous flow of breath,
energy and movement, conditioning it to
become potent and lethal. You understand
to a degree the meaning of 'rooting
movement in the whole body' or 'making
the weapon an extension of the body'. The
evening concluded in a whirlwind display
of Urumi combat between Lakshman
Guruji and Shatrughan Guruji. It was
fast and very furious, as a photographer
hoping to capture the action found out,
when he had to leap out of the way of the
spitting snake swords to avoid being cut to
ribbons. Like the obeisance you pay each
and every time you step into the Kalari,
or pick up a weapon or start a certain
sequence this was a constant reminder of
where you are meant to be – rooted in the
present moment!
Snippet
One aspect of experimentation connects
it to venturing into the unknown or
taking a risk. It is like setting out blindly
in search of answers. Things can go
wrong. You might not find the perfectly
satisfactory answer. Even after years of
quest, results might seem entative. It
might not pan out the way you envisaged.
You might go against the grain and resist
adapting a slick, saleable form.
Audiences used to confectionary
products might balk at something which
still looks work-in-progress. People
might walk out. And yet, even this viewer
discomfort can become a reason to
continue one’s work.
Sadanand Menon, in Our Stage

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