Once upon a time

Two or three local Tamil theatre groups, their internal competition, and regular stage activity used to instill the spirit of performing art in the Tamil community in Nagpur some fifty years ago. Now, the activity is restricted only to professional groups coming from Chennai to the city, that too once in a blue moon.

It was the black and white era. Nagpur was many years younger, spacious and serene. The city was all about Mahal, Itwari, Sitabuldi and Dhantoli. Ramdaspeth and West Nagpur used to be the outskirts. The South Indian community – from all four states – though very less in number, was active in many fields.

K Jagadeesan, former secretary of South India Association – the oldest organisation of Tamil-speaking Nagpurians, recalling the glorious days, goes into a nostalgic trance. “Ladies Club, Education Society, Bhajan Mandals, Sports Clubs and much more was going on in the mid-fifties. Theatre activity was also at its peak. There used to be two-three amateur theatre groups which used to do Tamil plays. There were even friendly competitions during those days,” he says, describing how Vyjayanthimala, the legendary Bharat Natyam dancer performed to raise funds for the new building of Saraswati Vidyalaya. “Bharat Ratna Dr MS Subbalaxmi was a frequent visitor to the Orange City in those days,” he adds, making one realise how healthy the fine art scene was some sixty years back.

“Some teachers of the same Saraswati Vidyalaya started theatre activity again during the seventies. Those days, plays used to be staged at Mor Hindi Bhavan or VTI Hall, in Maharajbagh premises,” Jagadeesan, who was a student of Nagpur University in those days, shares. “Some students started the Nagpur University Tamil Students’ Association (NATSA) and continued theatre activity. ‘Ganesan Kalai Mandaram’, a fine art group, also worked for Tamil theatre during 1980s. Recently, some SECR employees tried to do some theatre but all this stopped one after the other,” he laments.

Even if the number of South Indians in the city significantly increased all these years, the spirit of fine art was lost somewhere due to over exposure to television and electronic entertainment. “One gets to see Tamil, Telugu channels, movies right in the drawing room nowadays. So, the senior generation is least interested in reforming theatre. And juniors do not even know the language correctly. How could they do theatre then?,” Jagadeesan raises genuine issue. However, all is not lost for Tamil Theatre in Nagpur.

“Under South India Association banner, we call drama groups from Chennai to perform in Nagpur. Fortunately, we have good contacts in Tamil Nadu, and the artists too, are keen to perform in Nagpur as the city is a gateway to Central India for them,” says Jagadeesan, during whose five years’ tenure with the Association, Tamil plays by renowned T V Varadrajan Group were an annual feature.
Moreover, free Tamil learning classes is another activity run by the association. 

“We expect youngsters who cannot even read and write their mother tongue to attend this weekly activity. But, whom we get as students are -- transporters who find it difficult to communicate in Tamil Nadu; or girls, who are engaged to a Chennai-based guy,” Jagadeesan rues. However, art and theatre are integral parts of the Tamil way of life. “Our efforts are on. If they bear desired fruits, you may get to see a Tamil play by Nagpurians someday once again,” Jagadeesan expresses, with a little promise and more concern.

Time to wake up, Tamil youths!