Youngsters give a fillip to the theatre scene in the city

The theatre scene in Indore has metamorphosized in the last few years; and what was once a dormant activity is now thriving with theatre groups mushrooming in the city.
What is also interesting is the fact that youngsters are showing a keen interest in theatre and have been forming groups to showcase plays regularly. Nitesh Upadhaya, who is the founder and secretary of Anvaratt Group and has been active in the theatre scene for the last 14 years, admitted that he was appalled at the state of theatre in the city, until a few years ago.But Upadhyaya took an active interest in reviving the theatre scene in Indore and reveals that today there are several youngsters who are part of his group and stage plays with him. “When I started doing theatre, there used to be only one play staged in seven months. But now it is encouraging to see that there are plays staged almost every month.”
Raghav, a founder member and president of Prayas 3D, also echoes similar sentiments. “I started working actively in the theatre scene in the city four years ago. And in the last few years, the quality of work has improved dramatically. There are engineers who work with me only because they love the medium of theatre.” With regular plays being staged in the city, it is clear that the audience is keen to lap up good and experimental theatre. Sharad Sharma, curator of Abhinav Rangmandal, said, “I have been running theatre groups in the city for nearly a decade now and the constant efforts made by artists and our groups have finally been successful in creating awareness among theatre lovers in the city. The full houses and the rush to purchase tickets is nothing but an achievement for us. Indore is a city where the culture is carried forward by its people and if Indoreans are supporting the art of theatre, then I am sure that it has an even brighter future ahead.”
Comedy works best
The theatre groups of the city are constantly trying to introduce some acclaimed plays to the stage, but a genre that strikes a chord with Indoreans is comedy. Plays like Miya ki Jhooti, Miya ki Sar, Arey Sharif Log, Hi! Handsome and Raju, Raja, Ram aur Mai have generated quite a bit of positive response from the audience. Sharma added, “Dark plays and scripts on topical issues get lukewarm response from the city’s discerning theatre lovers. People prefer watching comedy plays. Also plays that touch upon social issues, but are light-hearted are also encouraged. Even celebrities like Sharman Joshi and Paresh Rawal prefer to stage comic plays in Indore.”
Theatre is passion
There are theatre groups in the city that conduct workshops for budding theatre artists. Several students and working professionals in the city also pursue theatre because they are passionate about the art. Atul Tiwari, a working professional, is a case in point. “My love for theatre is not restricted to fame or money. Theatre is all about expression and body language and it is a class of personality development for me. A theatre artist combats stage fear, masters the language, works on voice modulation, lives the life of that character in that span of time. My motive is to create a space for people who nurture the love for this art.”