The world we live in is rife with indoctrination and a growing sense of self censorship. Modern India is in a phase where any form of constructive criticism is mistaken for dissent and the voice that offers the criticism is instantly deemed Anti-national. This sense of constriction and censorship is perhaps a result of the political climate we live in and its effect on the body is just one of various subjects that Sujay Saple’s Agent Provocateur aims to address. Agent Provocateur is a devised performance, built organically in the minds of the actors and the directors. Time became the show’s catalyst, with the piece reflecting the growing instances of dissent and censorship.
Sujay Saple, director and choreographer of Agent Provocateur, believes that ideologies and indoctrination all start with the body and its cultivation. “As children, for instance, we’re taught how to use our right hand – only. Using the left hand was considered ‘bad’ or impure’. Now, let’s shift that perspective to modern ideology – which is favoured? The Right or the Left?” asks Saple.
He links the growing preference to the Right with the mushrooming of right wing parties all over the world, which “has allowed bigots and white supremacists to emerge from the shadows and don their hats with pride.” He recalls a time where a “racist person” would have his name changed or face morphed when he was represented in the media. Today’s there is no fear in bigotry.
To the artist in Saple, reacting to bizarre social phenomena is a matter of deep interest. The act also addresses the concept of censorship where in the past, an artist creates and someone else censors. Now the cultural transition of India has now led to the artist censoring his or her own voice, out of fear that the majority will disagree with their opinion. “Because one is creating in an atmosphere of threat, because one is creating in a bureaucracy which is not true, which is not free, which is one creating in a fictitious democracy a subconscious culture of censorship has arisen which in itself is the scariest form of censorship.” says the director.
This show and its participants do not present themselves as a form of activism. Instead, art is used as a means of awareness, bringing the audience alive to the indoctrination of the body, chronicling the various ways one’s habits, natural tendencies and ideologies and how they affect one’s perceptions of the world we live in. It also looks at the duality of censorship, where certain things are perceived as offensive and blocked out, while other content is churned out, totally uncensored, in the mass media. “It affects the minds of millions of people with subjects like the overt sexualisation of the female body in cinema,” Saple remarked.
The duet of dance and expression by Arpit Singh and Surbhi Dhyani is backed by the visceral, if somewhat unnerving atmosphere created by the drumming of Harsh Karangale, of Sky Rabbit fame. Harsh, known also for his alternative music persona, Bitmap, implements the experimental use of drums and noise to ensure that every moment makes an impact.
The percussions work as the force of expression and the voice of dissent, done deliberately to ensure that the ambiance set is not soulful or melodious.
What: Agent Provocateur
When: September 30 & October 1
Where: Ranga Shankara,8th cross, JP Nagar, 2nd Phase
