Azad’s stage for theatrical change
As president of the ‘Theatre Artists Association of Dhaka’ and with a career spanning across decades, the artiste opens up about his hopes for the theatre sector
Few months ago, during a performance of 'Nityapurana' by Desh Natak troupe at Dhaka's Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, protestors swarming the perimeter of the premises forced the authorities to halt the play midway. Even before that, Shilpakala's former Director General Liaquat Ali Lucky's abuse of power had been exposed, shaking up the theatre sector.
In the final few months of 2024, the theatre sector has found itself in quite a lot of heat–probably the most it has gone through in many years.
Even throughout the years, artistes have always lamented over how the sector is filled with inequalities, often falling upon deaf ears.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
However, now artistes are taking matters into their own hands, which led to the formation of a new cultural organisation called, 'Theatre Artists Association of Dhaka' on 19 October, 2024.
The aim of the organisation is to address the issues of theatre practices to nurture a professional space to uplift theatre artistes.
Actor, theatre director, and founder of theatre troupe Prachyanat, Azad Abul Kalam has been elected as president of the 13-member organisation, putting him at the forefront of the movement. In a conversation with him, the artiste shared his hopes for the theatre sector.
"Our members can support any political party, but they cannot hold positions within political parties. If this condition is violated, there will be consequences."
The newly formed theatre organisation initially registered 170 members. These members have been directly or indirectly involved in theatre practice in Dhaka for at least five years. Due to this criterion, only experienced individuals could join.
However, the organisation has made one thing clear–it will not be affiliated with politics.
Politics has been deeply ingrained in the arts for many years, owed to the discrimination and biases set by the previous government.
"Our members can support any political party, but they cannot hold positions within political parties. If this condition is violated, there will be consequences," commented Azad.
The organisation aims to decentralise the theatre sector and free it from political controversy, resulting in their decision to note engage in any political programs or work in favour of any particular party.
While the organisation can work towards eliminating the deeply ingrained discrimination in the theatre sector, the issues of theatre are much deeper.
Theatre is a demanding art form that requires immense effort and time. To pursue this craft, an artiste must dedicate their entire life to theatre, leaving little opportunity to expand their horizons in other professions.
This would be understandable if their hard work and time paid off with a sustainable income, however, that seems nearly impossible too.
Addressing this concern, Azad said, "Given our current reality, it is not possible to make a living solely from theatre earnings."
He added, "Stage drama cannot sustain itself solely through ticket sales. Without support from the government, theatre can never stand on its own."
Furthermore, despite having state of the art stages in Shilpakala Academies across districts outside Dhaka, stage dramas are rarely performed there and remain neglected.
"In most district-level Shilpakala Academies, there is a lack of equipment. The reality in such spaces is that there are no lights and no sound systems. Addressing these issues falls within their responsibilities," said the artiste.
Even in Dhaka, the theatre sector mostly depends on Shilpakala Academy in Segunbagicha and Bailey Road. Despite the promise the theatre sector holds, no alternative venues have been developed for the large population interested in stage drama. This has caused significant frustration among netizens and theatre enthusiasts.
"There has never been a clear understanding at the state level about the importance of theatre. That is why theatre has not been able to progress much," explains Azad Abul Kalam.
Moreover, in developed countries, the practice of repertory theatre, where a group of theatre artistes regularly perform a variety of plays, is well-established. The benefit of this structure is that it focuses more on performing a variety of plays, bringing in a steady stream of income as it brings in new audiences for each show.
Though Bangladesh's theatre community is not entirely unfamiliar with this process, it faces its own set of challenges.
"Repertory theatre practice happens here to a certain extent, but the number of artistes involved is very limited. Members of different groups work together, but it does not necessarily bring financial stability," concluded Azad.
