बालक - एक प्रतिक्रिया -

गांव की एक पतली पगडण्डी पर

लोटता हुआ बालक

मचलता है

लपकता है

माँ की ओर

देखता है

माँ की

धसी हुई छाती

फटी हुई साड़ी

ढीले पड़े शुष्क स्तन

बांहे फैलाये दो बेजान हाथ

बालक

ठिठकता है

रुक जाता है

माँ के कामों में

बिना व्यवधान डाले

अपने खेल में

मग्न हो जाता है

शायद

अपने तौर से

पुरे समाज की

खिल्ली उडाता है .

रामानुज दुबे

Name & Surname

Sometimes amusing discussion brings out interesting truth of our society. Yesterday I had very healthy discussion with one of my friends about ‘Name’ and ‘Surname’. This discussion reminds me two incidents that took place more than ten years back in Bihar.

During our graduation days, we had a good friend Rajesh Yadav. He was very popular among us. We had  given him many informal names .For us he was Raju, Raj, Rajesh, RY, yadav.  When his sister's marriage was fixed, he  invited all of us . We were the group of six and all of them reached to marriage house one day before the marriage ceremony. After reaching to the place, very soon we gelled with the family and took the responsibilities for arrangements of marriage ceremony. Among us, we had a friend Chandan, who used to address Rajesh as Yadav. Chandan was coordinating with labors for decoration. Many times, he needed Rajesh’s instructions for proper decoration of hall for that frequently he would call out ‘Yadav’.  After hearing his shrill voice, Rajesh would respond loudly either from second or third floor of the building. Everyone who was present there noticed this unusal but amusing way of communication. In night, after dinner, Rajesh’s uncle (perhaps he was a senior officer of State commission cadre) called Chandan and reprimanded him for calling Rajesh as ‘Yadav’.
Chandan was aghast. He remonstrated ‘But uncle from the beginning I have been addressing him ‘Yadav’. He never said me anything against it’.
‘ Addressing him Yadav appears very offensive. You may call your friend Rajesh by any names but when you use word ‘Yadav’ for him you should use ‘Yadav ji’ –uncle said this seriously.
‘Ji for friend ?'- chandan made a funny face.
“No – ‘ji’ to give respect his caste, his bloodline, his ancestors, his family. Here Rajesh is not only ‘Yadav’ whole family is .Name can be informal, Surname cannot be. It is better to address friends by his name but if you are using surname, you must give proper respect to Surname.”
Meanwhile Rajesh keeping fingers on his lips gave Chandan signal to keep quite before uncle. Chandan reciprocated accordingly. This discussion was over, but one good outcome of this discussion was that after that Chandan never addressed Rajesh as ‘Yadav’.

Second incident took place after few months of this incident. Bank Manager Mahto uncle had given a party in his house. Mahto uncle’s son Mithilesh is my friend. Mithlesh had invited some of his college friends in the party. His one college friend was constantly addressing him ‘Mahto- mahto’ loudly. One old woman admonished the guy – ‘Will you have to pay money or tax to say Mahto ji or Mahto Babu. You will not become small if you address your friend with respect. What kind of education you are getting in the college?’ his college friend was apologetic. Everybody present in the party agreed with the old woman.

These two incidents made me conscious about surnames. There is no denying the fact that India is a caste based society and a majority of our fellow citizens identify themselves with their own caste. Many people feel offended if their surname that generally denote their caste, not addressed with proper respect. Generally I address my friends by their names only but if I have to address by surname I never forget to add ‘ji or Babu’ suffix.  In my opinion giving respect to the name and the surname of any individual whether s/he is younger one or elder one, educated or illiterate, rich or poor, officer or peon is equivalent to respecting our self and we should respect our self.

लड़ाई -

मशाल

वह  जलाया गया बच्चा

जो कल दिन में मर गया

मुझे रात भर परेशान करता रहा .

 दांत भींचे

अपने दर्द को दबाते हुए

पूछता रहा लगातार

क्या ग्यारह मरने की सही उम्र है ?

मेरे हाथ में ना बन्दूक थी

ना कोई हथियार

ना बलिष्ठ काया

ना ही आतंकी इरादा

जिन्दा जला दिया गया

फिर भी

निर्बल था मैं

क्या निर्बलता की मुझे मिली सजा .

अच्छा किया

नहीं मारा मुझे बन्दुक की गोली से

नहीं कुचला

भारी-भरकम कील ठुंके बूट से

नहीं क़त्ल किया

विष चुभे खंजर से

जलाया मुझे आग में

लपलपाती आग

असहनीय पीड़ा झेलते जल गया मैं

आग की लपटों में

जलता जिन्दा  शरीर

मशाल बन मरता है

पर सोचता हूँ

क्या मैं बन पाउँगा मशाल

निहत्थे का

निरीह का

न्याय  का

शहर समाज के हर निर्बल गरीब का .

~~~ रामानुज दुबे

Cineplay

Today Evening I saw CinePlay ‘The Job’ at La-Makaan, Hyderabad. As per the advertisement of the organizer, CinePlay is the novel mode of theatre. The advertisement says, “CinePlay is a new genre of entertainment. It is a cinematic experience of theatrical production. The film making process is used to convey meaningful stories, in collaboration with the theatre director’s vision. A new language of cinema. It’s cinema, it’s theatre, it’s cineplay”.

What is CinePlay ?

CinePlay is a hybrid form of theatre and cinema. A play is recorded aesthetically then some film making elements are used to present video version of play to the audience. It is neither theatre nor cinema. Theatre has immediacy that immediacy you miss in CinePlay, as CinePlay is restricted to set design as per the play so it is hard to get the pleasure of film. CinePlay does not provide big canvass as cinema. It is devoid of complete pleasure of film & theatre.

Then what is the use of this format?

CinePlay does not provide the all elements of theatre and cinema to the audiences; it does not mean that it is a useless format. When a group performs a play, it undergoes a very arduous process from rehearsal to stage performance.  Director works on script, actors, set, light, music, blocking, stylization, costume etc. Actors work on characterization, speech, gesture, posture, diction, chemistry with co-actors etc. Once the play is ready, it reaches to audience.  Generally, any medium size good auditorium in any town/ city has two hundred to three hundred sitting capacity. If a group conducts ten shows, it will have maximum reach to two thousand to three thousand people. For every performance group will have to conduct rehearsal, booking of auditorium, coordination with organizer/ producer.  Sometimes costs of these efforts become quite huge than returns. Regular shows of any play needs dedicated director, disciplined actors, functional group, good public relations with all stake holders, sufficient resources be it – human or finance. CinePlay is the shortcut solution to such problem. Do a play, get it recorded, put some elements of cinema to enhance the quality of the play and conduct the show when audience is ready.  CinePlay does not require theatre or auditorium, it can be shown anywhere, and it requires a projector and laptop. Cineplay can have wider reach to audience than the actual play but it will never be as effective as play. CinePlay can also act as the documentation of play and it can be shown to audience/ public even after a long time.

Is cinePlay a new genre of entertainment?

No. CinePlay not a new concept, not a new genre of entertainment.  In fact, Doordarshan channels (DD-1, DD- regional channels, DD-India, DD-Bharti) have been telecasting recorded plays of good directors from long. Many plays from Patna and Delhi theatre have been telecasted on national channels.  DD regional channels Bihar and Bhopal (MP) regularly presents recorded plays. Doordarshan national channels have been telecasting theatre groups’ play and these plays getting wider audiences. The nomenclature of recorded play ‘CinePlay’ is new but not the format.

Almost all the world classics are available on you tube.  Many theatre group, educational institutions, Drama Schools have uploaded their video in part/ full on you tube. These uploads qualify the definition of CinePlay.

Do I enjoy CinePlay?

Frankly speaking – No & Yes. I find it is very cumbersome to see recorded plays. I enjoy watching play live. That enjoyment CinePlay cannot give at any cost. However, I confess, the plays that I performed, or the plays I watched live and like it – I love watching recorded version too. I saw the plays of famous Surabhi theatre Group (AP) on DD national three years ago. I got exposure of hundred-year-old theatre group through recorded version. Hope, I will get the opportunity to see the group’s performance soon.

I have been moderately involved in Hyderabad theatre and feeling a part of theatre fraternity. Being a part of theatre fraternity, I feel that Hyderabad theatre has very little exposure to theatre of other places. Patna, Bhopal, Mumbai & Delhi have done many experiments in theatre and produced a good number of national and international productions. Hope, Hyderabad theatre will have good exposure of theatre from different part of our country through CinePlay. If it happens, Cineplay will do real service in theatre to this city.

HAIKU XXI

I

Lumbering woes
Congealed
Silent sufferings


II

Inhaling coffee
At bedside
Hypnotic Morning


III

Brings everyday
A new hope in the life
Chirping birds


~~~ Ramanuj Dubey 

उस पागल का प्रलाप -

उस पागल का प्रलाप

पानी सड़ चुका है

हवा सड़ रही है

जमीन आधा से ज्यादा

सड़ चुका है

हम सब जिन्दा हैं

सड़ते हुए

एक दिन

सड़ते सड़ते

मर जाएंगे .

सुबह -सुबह

बिंध  रहा था मेरी कानों में

उस पागल का अनर्गल प्रलाप

चिल्ला रहा था जोर जोर से

मार्स , वीनस

कहीं पहुँच जाओ

तुम सड़ा दोगे उसे भी

जगह पलायन करने से क्या होगा

दिमाग में तो लिए जा रहे हो सड़ांध ही

चार डग खोज रहे हो रोज

ताकि मौका मिले

सड़ाने गलाने के लिए और

तुम पलायन कर सकते हो

पृथ्वी से मार्स या वीनस

मिल सकता है

सब कुछ ताज़ा

क्षण भर की ताज़गी

हमारा पलायन होता भी है तो

बस एक सड़ी जगह से

दूसरी सड़ी जगह तक

हम तो पलायन करना ही नहीं चाहते

सड़े जगहों में भी

हमने भी तक बचा रक्खी हैं

जीने भर की ताज़गी .

पर तुम्हारे कुकृत्य

हावी है हमारी हर जगह पे

सड़ रहा है धीरे -धीरे

हर एक कोना

हम

मरने के लिए विवश

सड़ते हुए

तुम्हारी सड़ांध के बीच

और वह पागल

बेजार रोने लगा

पुरे पेट से

मेरी आत्मा हिल गयी

मैंने डरते हुए पूछा

कौन हो तुम ?

उसने अट्टहास करते हुए कहा

तुम पूछते हो की मैं कौन हूँ

मैं हर आदमी का

शैशव हूँ

किशोर हूँ

जंगल हूँ

खेत खलियान हूँ

पहाड़ हूँ

पत्थर हूँ

समंदर हूँ

तुम्हारे बीच का ही

आदि मानव हूँ

किसान हूँ

तुम्हारा पूर्वज भी  हूँ

और कोमल सा पाषाण भी

~~~ रामानुज दुबे