Covid impact on mask-makers of Seraikella Chhau puts city documentary director in a fix

KOLKATA: While masks have become indispensable accessories of modern living, a Kolkata-based director of a documentary on the mask-makers of Seraikella Chhau is facing a unique problem. Just before the pandemic broke out, Malay Dasgupta had travelled to Seraikella to shoot ‘Where the Mask Speaks the Mind’. The documentary was screened at the Kolkata International Film Festival, Madrid Indie Film Festival, SiGNS Film Festival and International Film & Folklore Festival in Trinidad & Tobago.Now, when he wants to shoot an additional segment on the impact of Covid-19 on the mask-makers, he found they have either passed away or switched professions to survive.
Documentaries on Seraikella Chhau have been made even by Buddhadeb Dasgupta. “I wanted to explore a new angle. Amitava Ghosh, who helms Jamshedpur-based film society titled Celluloid Chapter, suggested I feature the mask-makers,” said Dasgupta, who had earlier made documentaries on Joy Goswami, Manna De, Gangubai Hangal and others.
A working still of Kanhaiyalal Maharana being interviewed for the documentary
His work took him the doorstep of nonagenarian Kanhaiyalal Maharana who came across as “a mine of information”. “I was surprised to see that a President's award winner with a rich travel history abroad because of his expertise in the art form living in such a modest house. While explaining the intricate process of mask-making, his comments revealed his knowledge of anatomy and physiognomy,” the director said.
Alongside his interview, Dasgupta also tracked down National Award winning mask maker Sushanta Mahapatra and his son, Sumit. The director is now in a fix when he wants to revisit Seraikella to film with them again. “Kanhaiyalal has expired due to age-related problems. The rest are facing an existential crisis,” Dasgupta said.
Malay Dasgupta
Ghosh, who is also the general secretary of the Federation of Film Societies of India, said there have no performances, invitations and rehearsals during April of 2020 and 2021. “Chaitra Sankranti has traditionally been the peak period for all Chhau dancers. But even online workshops can’t be organized because of dearth of students. As a result, mask makers had to return to their villages. They are now fully dependent on the government ration relief,” Ghosh said.
A still from ‘Where the Mask Speaks the Mind’
Sushanta’s workshops on mask making have been cancelled. “I learnt the art from my uncle, Prasanna Mahapatra. He is no more. I get a pension of Rs 4,000 a month. Sometimes, I make gift items. My students have all gone. Some are now selling vegetables,” he said. His son, Sumit, is tense. He survives thanks to the casual job of an electrician. “It is a bad situation for us,” he told TOI.
Forty five-year-old Dilip Acharya, who also features in the documentary, now makes idols. “Veteran gurus like Kanhailalji and Bishwanath Sahu are no more. There is hardly any money in making masks. Students are not coming. The pandemic has ruined us,” he said.