Right now, in Imphal, Dr Y. Sadananda Singh, director of the Kanglei Mime Theatre Repertory, is looking forward to the day when he reaches Thiruvananthapuram. His team is all set to participate in Echoes of Silence, a national mime festival to be held in the city from May 10 to 12. An excited Sadananda says, “It is a very good chance for us. We will be able to share our thoughts with the people of Kerala,” he says. “We are so happy to be a part of this venture, which is the first of its kind in the state. More than that, it is an opportunity for us to meet our artiste friends there,” he smiles.
At the venue, his 12-member team will perform the production No Budget, which takes a look at the situation of art being sidelined. “This mime or non-verbal play is a fantasy endeavour to depict the unsatisfactory mind of artistes who do great physical performance,” says Sadananda. “Nowadays, governments marginalise art and culture segment. For instance, when a sports person wins a gold medal, he or she will be awarded with cash prizes worth lakhs. However, when an artiste wins a title, he or she gets nothing. No Budget points at this ‘lack of budget’ for art and culture,” he explains.
Dr Y. Sadananda Singh
The fantasy play is about a man who is suffering from high fever. Medicines don’t help him and he hallucinates. He feels that he has been transformed into a superhuman. He floats amidst dark clouds and does wonders in his self-formed world. He even goes around visiting sites during his daydream. As the play develops, he miraculously defeats other champions in a weightlifting championship. At the same time, he mesmerises a judge with his extraordinary performances in a cultural event. However, when the temperature comes down, he is confronted with the hardship of reality.
“The mime is an attempt to exhort governments to recognise art and culture,” says Sadananda. “It was opened last year to rave reviews,” he reminisces. He expects the same in Kerala, too. “People of Kerala value art. I believe they will like it,” he says. He also acts in No Budget. Besides him, the production has T. Raghumani Singh, M. Inaoton Singh, Th. Rishikanta Singh, Atai Konsam, S. Malemnganba, Haobam Wangthoi, Y. Poreiton, Miss Yumnam Jiteshwari Devi, Miss Kh. Jaya, Br. Gyaneshwari Devi and G. Imotomba Sharma on board.
He also assures that watching No Budget will help one understand the art and culture of Manipur. “It is made with elements of Manipur. It includes music, dance forms and costumes of Manipur,” says Sadananda, who has spearheaded numerous projects before. What makes his works significant is their social relevance. If No Budget discusses disparity among artistes, Mirel Mashingkha (The Will of Soul) is a protest against the draconian Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA). “The Act has made life in Manipur miserable. The Will of Soul is a tribute to Irom Sharmila, who dedicated her life to fight this injustice,” says Sadananda, who was awarded with the Manipur State Kala Academy Award in mime. So far, he has participated in 15 mime and theatre festivals across the globe.
In Thiruvananthapuram, the fest will take place at Bharat Bhavan, Thycaud. No Budget will be performed at 6.30 pm on May 11. Other than No Budget, the festival also features projects such as Solo Mime (Kalpatharu Guha), Umbrella (Padma Shri Niranjan Goswami), Hurdle Full Honeymoon, Kripan (Vilas Janve) and Mrigaya Kadha (Sabhya Sachi Dutta).
