Updated: October 27, 2020 6:33:06 pm
At one point during the naatak, ‘Nitish’ and ‘Modi’ appear tied back to back to each other, an excavation in the ‘twin-engine sarkaar’ that BJP and JD (U) run in Bihar.
It’s a listless weekday morning at a market in Bihar’s city of Chapra. Traders don’t expect many customers at this time of day. The local restaurant has few customers and the staff are huddled at a table in the corner. Suddenly, a man appears playing a ‘damru’, a jamoora in tow. Some traders look up, but are not yet interested enough to exit.
The jamoora lies down, the madaari asks her what she can see. “Rhea Chakraborty,” replies the jamoora. “Everywhere, on all the news channels, this is the biggest name in the country right now. No other song matters as much as that name, Rhea Chakraborty. “
People laugh, some gather around the two artists. The madaari and the jamoora continue from there, raising the issues facing the country and Bihar, mocking Prime Minister Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The crowd grows.
The audience gathers to watch the nukkad natak in a village in the Saran district of Bihar.
Such nukkad naataks, or street plays, are new to electoral campaigns in Bihar. Jeetendra Kumar Rai, RJD leader, MLA member and Marhaura candidate, watched the AAP in Delhi perform them and was inspired.
“The campaign here sees a lot of Bhojpuri songs, and this time, of course, the social media platforms are awash with election-related videos,” says Rai. “But Chapra is the land of the great playwright Bhojpuri Bhikhari Thakur, and I wanted to do something that would highlight his legacy. Additionally, songs and videos are a passive way to connect with your leaders. The nukkad naatak is a more two-way process. Artists have an idea of what jokes and problems they are making with people. “
At one point during the naatak, ‘Nitish’ and ‘Modi’ are found tied back to back to each other, an excavation in the ‘twin-engine sarkaar’ that BJP and JD (U) run in Bihar. “You gave us 15 years. We have used this time to achieve something huge, ”says ‘Modi’. “We have managed to realize that all the problems facing the state are due to the previous government. Now give us another 15, so we can bring vikaas to Bihar. “
In a sarcastic comment to CM citing difficulties in establishing industries in the landlocked state, ‘Nitish’ says: “Orders have been given to China to start factories. The day China keeps its promises, Bihar will have industries. “
‘Modi’ then winks at the audience. “Don’t tell him, but his days are over,” he says, pointing at ‘Nitish’. “It’s going to be us all the way now.”
The play is written and directed by Jainendra Dost, a filmmaker who runs the Bhikhari Thakur Repertory Research and Training Center in Chapra. “Jitendra ji came to me with the idea,” says Dost. “I was wondering what kind of impact a live parody would have on an election dominated by social media campaigns. However, artists and performers had been out of work for a long time due to Covid-19, and this seemed like a good opportunity. Also, a live performance can convey nuances that are difficult to capture in a recorded program. “
The parody has already had more than 100 screenings. Most of the artists are Dost students and say the response from viewers has been enthusiastic. “One of the reasons for this,” says Dharmraaj, one of the artists, “is that people are really upset, with the floods and Covid-19, and the work offers them a chance to laugh at their frustrations. Laughter is also a measure of your discontent with the ruling dispensation. The powerful are really in trouble when they can be reduced to a joke. “
Kumar Gaurav, a 34-year-old resident of Chapra, came across the naatak by chance, but kept looking “because it struck a chord.” “Throughout the day, the political parties subject us to hyperbole and propaganda. This relentless criticism of those who consider themselves invincible was refreshing. Of course, the crowd at the skit doesn’t mean that everyone will get out of here and vote for the RJD. They also have a lot to answer for. But it’s good to see something that makes them laugh and think, ”says Gaurav.
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