Kharaashein: scarred by bureaucracy?

Mazhar Farooqui / TNN / Jul 22, 2004, 07:00 IST

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Gulzar and Salim Arif’s much acclaimed play Kharaashein gets a thumbs down from the government-- it’s too serious for people here to handle, they feel...

<arttitle><i>Kharaashein:</i> scarred by bureaucracy?</arttitle>

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">Gulzar and Salim Arifâ€™s much acclaimed play Kharaashein gets a thumbs down from the government-- itâ€™s too serious for people here to handle, they feel.... The work of noted writer-lyricist Gulzar doesn''t seem to be good enough for the state government which has rejected a play based on his short stories on the ground that it could incite communal passions.Kharaashein -- The Scars from Riots was originally scheduled to be staged in Lucknow in September as part of a theatre festival, presented by the Indian Academy of Art and Culture in association with the Uttar Pradesh Cultural Department. Kharaashein was among four plays including Tumhari Amrita''s sequel Aapki Sonia, Neena Gupta''s Surya ki Pehli Kiran Se Surya ki Antim Kiran Tak and Shatranj Ke Mohre, which were shortlisted during a high-level meeting convened by the chief secretary VK Mittal on July 8. But while all other plays were okayed, Kharaashein was given a thumbs down because the officials felt that the sensitive Lucknow audience was not mature enough to watch a play which was set in the backdrop of communal riots. Admittedly so, Gulzar is not amused. "This is ridiculous. Kharaashein isn''t about communal disharmony. Instead it''s about communal harmony. It about the insanity of riots and how they affect the psyche of a common man," Gulzar told Lucknow Times over the phone from Mumbai. "It''s unfortunate that the Lucknow audience is being deprived of a thought-provoking play which would have reinforced their conviction in human values. Because, Kharaashein, more than anything else, is an examination of the human spirit in times of strife and the derangement of a situation where the scars (Kharaashein) never really get a chance to heal. Each time irrational hatred erupts, the scabs are peeled off, and the wounds start bleeding again," Gulzar added. Director Salim Arif appeared no less peeved at the state government''s decision to ring the curtains on his much acclaimed play. "Kharaashein tries to depict the irrationality of human behaviour and the horrific cruelty it is capable of unleashing. Not surprisingly, be it the All India Theatre Festival and the Bhartiya Rang Mahotsava in Delhi or the NCPA in Mumbai, Kharaashein has evoked an overwhelming response everywhere it has been staged. Recently, it got rave reviews in New York too. If there hasn''t been any problem in all these cities, why should there by any problem in Lucknow. In a world where violence is as random as it is planned and where each new act transcends the previous one in sheer barbarity, the message of Kharaashein is universal and needs to be heard," he said. "It''s a missed opportunity for theatre buffs in Lucknow because Kharaashein would have brought with it the critically acclaimed actors like Atul Kulkarni, Yashpal Sharma, Suresh Yadav and Kishore Kadam on one stage. Lucknow District magistrate Aradhna Shukla who was among several senior bureaucrats present in the meeting chaired by the chief secretary, however, denies the insinuation that Kharaashein was given the go over because of its sensitive theme. "Kharaashein wasn''t dropped because it talked about communal violence but because we thought it was a bit too serious for the Lucknow audience who generally like entertaining stuff," she said. And that''s serious! mazhar.farooqui@timesgroup.com</div> </div>

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