Bringing big smiles back on small' faces

GUWAHATI: When Pabitra Rabha, a young man from the small town Tangla in the BTC's Udalguri area, passed out of the prestigious National School of Drama (NSD) in 2003, he looked all set to anchor deep in the acting-industry. He has since then acted in a number of Bollywood movies and directed many successful plays.
His story could have been like any other NSD graduate's, had he stopped there.Pabitra, however, thought differently and thought big.
Today, he has an amateur theatre group called Darpon' (The Mirror) that has brought 27 dwarfs together from all over the state who are honing their acting-skills at a camp, where they also undergo various vocational trainings. Proving that they are inferior to none seems to be their motto.
"Over the years, as I have grown up, I have noticed these people are the victims of negligence and humiliation in the society without any fault of their faults. It's very unfortunate that they feel shy to even come out of their home, in spite of being equally talented, like any other normal people," said Pabitra.
"Our theatre group decided to do something for the dwarfs in whatever way possible. It started three years ago with an intention to guide them in the various ways of life. Moreover, we wanted to let people know how traumatic life is for them," Rabha told TOI.
They will soon stage a play where they will tell their tale. "We want to go to every nook and corner of the earth carrying the message of their pain and trauma. We will stage plays portraying their plight in day to day life," Rabha added.
Financial support so far has been a major problem for them, he said. "Initially when we approached the cinema and theatre division of the BTC, they assured us of providing necessary help. They gave us Rs 3 lakh but that is not enough, as we need to bear the cost of these people's fooding and accommodation. We are also paying them Rs 200 a day as some of them are the lone earning members of their families," Rabha said, adding, they at least required Rs 10 lakh to complete the mission.
The dwarfs attending the camp too seemed to be happy and enjoying their time with the theatre group. "We want to do something. It would be fun to act in plays with our friends," said one.
"Their response has been very encouraging. We even send them to the DC's office and asked them their reactions. Even we are learning from them," said an emotional Rabha.