The Indian Sun caught up with Neel Banerjee, Nautanki Theatre for a chat about his brainchild—South Asian Theatre Mela
➤ How did the South Asian Theatre Mela take birth? What was the driving force behind it? Please take us through your evolution journey
When I migrated here as a first-generation migrant and started reaching out to theatres and started watching theatres on Australian stage, one thing was evident in my mind that most theatres seemed to me as being disconnected with the community.
Now later, you know, there was the diversity, equity, inclusivity, (DEI) drive which has come into vogue in the theatre arena and which the productions and theatre companies have started validating and implementing. But as the first generation migrant, as a new person in this country, I found that there was a complete disconnect.
So I started sort of thinking about it. Now, fortunately, I have an idea of how theatres are actually made and all my education of theatre making has been in the Indian style of theatre making, not the Western style. I also discovered a rich and established theater practice within the South Asian diaspora communities here in Australia
So I kind of started reflecting on it as to how these two ideas can be brought together. That was the germ of the idea for starting South Asian Theatre Mela.
Now, I am mindful that I’m answering this question from ethnography point of view. Some people may or may not agree with the term ethnography, but just a note of disclaimer from my side, I am approaching it from the observations point of view not so much the documentation side which will come much later. In fact, I consider the documenting is a very colonial concept and I sort of do not agree with that. In fact, the Sanskrit theatre or the dances, theatres or most of the art forms in ancient India have been passed on to the generation and it was not really documented and that’s something that we call the Shruti.
While we started this journey of South Asian Theatre Festival, as the community outreach program, we were hit by COVID. If we reflect back, I kind of validate the fact that now I think theatre will be made in this model, which is a little scary thought, but that is actually the reality. In general, if you look around, not only in Sydney, not only in Australia, across the world, watching something as a community is slowly decreasing & shrinking in the society.
“Theatre will be very fragmented, so we should be actually ready with that art form, where smaller groups of the community can actually come together and enjoy theatre.”
➤ How do you see the future for theatre in Australia given that there are a variety of competing channels of entertainment such as Bollywood, streaming services, mega concerts, social media etc?
I think in next 10-20 years, theatre will not be watched by large groups such as 500 people. I do not see it that way. Theatre will be very fragmented, so we should be actually ready with that art form, where smaller groups of the community can actually come together and enjoy theatre.
Now, when I say that we should be ready with that art form as an artist, we should be actually thinking ahead, thinking for the future as responsible artists. We have to take the art form to the audience, not expecting the audience to follow the art form. That will be, I think, the future of theatre, especially in a diaspora centric theatre practice, which is one of my prime in theatre making.
I think that theatre should be actually taken to these diaspora communities and build theatre with them, show theatre and enjoy theatre with the community. I think that is the inevitable future in a migrant society like Australia, that theatre needs to actually go back to the community, which I think in the last maybe 40 years, has sort of moved away from the community. So, that is the significance of the South Asian Theatre Mela.
“We have to take the art form to the audience, not expecting the audience to follow the art form. That will be, I think, the future of theatre, especially in a diaspora centric theatre practice.”
➤ Keep up with good work Neel and all the best with your future ventures.
Over its 10-year history, South Asian Theatre Mela has reflected and influenced the changing dynamics of theatre in migrant contexts. It illustrates how theatre can adapt to contemporary social realities, preserving traditional Indian art forms while embracing new modes of community engagement. This evolution signals a sustainable model for theatre’s future in diaspora settings despite declining traditional theatre audiences and using theatre as cultural bridge in migrant societies.
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