Andha Yug, written by the legendary writer, editor, and journalist Dharmavir Bharati was first staged and directed by founder Director of the National School of Drama (NSD), Father of Hindi Theater, Ebrahim Alkazi. The play was performed at Purana Killa in New Delhi by the then-students of NSD. Originally written for the Akashwani, it was Satyadev Dubey and Alkazi who saw the potential in the script to be transported to the visual medium of theater.
Today, nearly six decades later, an NSD graduate, Joy Maisnam, is bringing Andha Yug to life again. The young director from Manipur plans to present Andha Yug in his direction at NCPA on December 19.
Joy Maisnam |
Andha Yug is a play that many greats have directed and performed in the last many years. Satyadev Dubey’s Andha Yug had a sterling cast like Amrish Puri, and Naseeruddin Shah, among others. It was also directed by the veteran director from Manipur, Ratan Thiyam, a few decades ago.
“I was initially criticised by many, even before they saw my play, that I am trying to copy my senior from the state and another NSD alumni, Ratan Thiyam,” shares Joy Maisnam. “However, the same people were all ga-ga once they saw my play.”
Did Thiyam or any other director’s production influence him? “Not at all,” asserts Maisnam. “I have not seen the plays directed by all the veterans or even many others who have directed Andha Yug . The only one that I have seen in bits and pieces is the one on YouTube… that too in parts. Therefore, the question of someone’s vision influencing me doesn’t arise at all,” he says. “However,” he adds, “I knew what I definitely didn’t want to do. I had once acted in one of the renditions of Andha Yug as Ashwathama. This was long before I joined NSD. I knew that if I ever directed this play, it would never be like this. I just disliked the production values and approach so much.”
Andha Yug is a play based on Mahabharat, the eternally read and revered epic. Maisnam admits that he has never read the epic, but has heard stories from Mahabharat a lot. “It is in the culture of Manipur. For any celebration or festival, someone narrates stories from Mahabharat. I have grown up listening to these stories.”
Maisnam also grew up listening to the sounds of death — bullets, bombs and tankers. Born amidst the ongoing war between the revolutionaries of Manipur and the Indian army, Maisnam’s early childhood memories are of bullets killing his neighbours or being beaten up. “It was an ironic situation for people like us who were neutral. Indian army thought we helping the revolutionaries and they harassed us. Revolutionaries thought we were allies of the army, so they beat us up. It was tragic.” Thanks to these memories, even today, he finds it difficult to trust a policeman or an army personnel.
Not deterred by the circumstances, Maisnam pursued his passion for theater and graduated from NSD. He also went to the London International School of Performing Arts. He is proficient in a few martial arts as well. And in the nearly two decades of his practising theater, he has used his fascination and training for martial arts well in his productions, especially Andha Yug .
“It is up to the director to interpret what the writer has to say in his own way,” Maisnam explains. “I have used my own language to express what Bharatiji has to say. My visual language is different from others, the rhythm is different. It will make the audience think.”
Maisnam agrees that Andha Yug is a timeless play. “Bharatiji’s interpretation that war never benefits anyone is right. I totally believe in that,” says Maisnam. “Also, wars will continue till mankind is alive. Even right now there’s a war going on somewhere on this earth. And this will continue, unfortunately. And therefore, Andha Yug will always remain relevant,” he concludes.
