Plays, dramas hard pressed to meet challenges of time

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Dec 23 : Owing to the multitude of changes brought on by so many factors, old artforms of the State have suffered immensely.
Nowadays, there is a dearth of audience who will purchase tickets to watch plays in theatres.
As a result, aside from plays sponsored by the Ministry of Culture or the State Government, there is a shortage of producers who will invest their hard earned money in producing plays.
Speaking to The Sangai Express in this connection, Y Sadananda, Director of Kanglei Mime Theatre and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee (Theatre Mime) shared that before the advent of Manipuri cinema and contemporary songs, going to the theatre used to be a popular leisure activity.
The theatres used to be filled to capacity whenever plays depicting current events or related to traditions and customs and others were showcased.
With the changing times and emergence of various entertainment genres and platforms, the number of people interested in theatre plays have dwindled considerably.
Nowadays, everyone has a smartphone with internet access which brings all forms of entertainment and news at one's fingertips, he said.
Due to these changes, there is a shortage of audience for theatre plays as well as producers who will invest in these art forms, which need financial support to make arrangements for light, stage set, props, costume, make up, artists, rehearsal etc.
Even though it is difficult to keep the kitchen fire burning with this artform as a profession, many dedicated to this artform continue to work relentlessly for its revival.
On the bright side, youths interested in this artform continue to emerge. While new theatres have also been established, there are State owned halls like Maharaj Chandrakirti Auditorium and private theatres such as Chorus Repertory Theatre and Kanglei Mime Theatre, he pointed out.
Referring to the financial aid provided by the Central Government for the upliftment of theatre plays, he informed that under the Repertory Grant, the Ministry of Culture endows Rs 6000 per month to artists and Rs 10,000 to directors. In 2023, an order was issued to increase this sum to Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 respectively. However, this grant is provided only to selected artists and directors, shared Y Sadananda.
Similarly, the State Government hands out production grants annually. Under this grant, Rs 1.5 lakh is given to a theatre organisation which has been registered for at least 25 years and is still active. Additionally, Rs 1 lakh is given to an organisation which functions smoothly but has been registered for less than 25 years. With the grant money, they have to produce at least one play each.
Newly established theatre organisations which have been registered for 3 years can also apply for the production grant, he added.
Despite the loss of popularity of theatre plays, Y Sadananda remarked that the artform will never die out.
There is a Department of Theatre & Performance Studies at Manipur University of Culture (MUC) which continues to churn out new students.
Moreover, the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has a portion on theatre, which is a step in the right direction, he maintained.
There is a need for concerted efforts to uplift this artform and theatre organisations should also focus on producing meaningful plays.