Veteran actor Raghubir Yadav talks about the changing facets of theatre
Kolkata recently witnessed the 'avengers' line up of thespians come together to pay tribute to Habib Tanvir. Organised by the Kolkata Centre for Creativity, Dekh Rahe Hain Nayan, was a three-day theatre festival that celebrated the life and works of Tanvir on his centenary. Gracing the occasion was veteran actor Raghubir Yadav whose identity as Pradhan ji in the web series Panchayat has broken all records.
He has performed as an actor and musician over the decades including being part of notable theatre groups like Parsi Theatre Company and National School of Drama Repertory. A recipient of several national and international awards, Yadav speaks to Indulge about his connection with Tanvir, theatre today, and more.
Excerpts:
How does Habib Tanvir’s journey still hold socio-political and cultural relevance in today’s time?
I have known him [Habib Tanvir] since 1974. His relevance back then is still the same today. The way he used to do theatre and his thinking process. He is still required as much in today’s world as he was in his time. He has taught a lot to many people.
How has his works influenced you?
I got associated with him when he did the play Agra Bazaar. I got to know about Nazeer Akbarabadi who was a poet who used to write for the general mass. I understood a lot about poetry from there, from the language that they used. Before that, I was in Parsi theatre so I wasn’t aware of the usage of language. But when I learned about Akbarabadi I came to know the vast treasure of knowledge and poetry available.
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Tanvir’s theatre was mainly for the mass. Does theatre still appeal to the mass with its changing nature?
Absolutely! The root will always stay. There has been a revival of Parsi theatre and nautanki now. I have seen theatre take a setback with the arrival of films. But the fact is that things might temporarily go away for a while but they come back again, it is never dead.
Today, theatre is performed in various places and spaces apart from the proscenium. Is that a good development?
Everything is good for theatre. But I have noticed theatre in earlier days was ruhaani [spiritual]. It belonged to the spirit. I remember I have never done theatre with microphones which started of late. What happens when the microphone is between is that the spiritual communication becomes absent. Feelings and emotions change. Whenever I have to perform in front of the microphone I feel weird because I belong to the era when there used to be no microphones. I believe when you speak from the heart, it reaches out to the audience.
Many youngsters join theatre to learn acting and then proceed to explore other platforms or do not pursue theatre. Is that a backset for the medium?
Those who think that after learning theatre they would move on to OTT or films or other platforms, it is their loss. If they think along these lines and join theatre, then I would prefer that they don’t join. It is because theatre will not teach you acting, it teaches you life. And if you know life, then no matter the platform you will be successful anywhere.
Does the involvement of corporate organisations limit the artistic liberty of theatre?
Absolutely! It takes away the freedom. I have seen the contracts that they write. It seems that you will have to breathe on their terms. I don’t accept these terms and conditions which do not keep art and culture alive. The business that has been created out of this is a deterrent to not just theatre but our art and culture.
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Having explored several platforms – theatre, OTT, films – yourself, which appeals to you the most?
Theatre. In simple words, the satisfaction that I get from theatre, I don’t get it anywhere else. There is a reason behind it too. In theatre, we do one play; there are several rehearsals and then the final stage performance. If there is a chance of improvement in one performance, we can improve it in the next one. There is a scope for improvement in theatre but it is not so in films. Once the performance is given and the director Okays the shot, it is done.
How do you feel coming back to Kolkata and performing?
I love coming to Kolkata. I have got really good reactions from the audience of this city. I have been coming to Kolkata since 1974. I performed when I was in the National School of Drama Repertory and even after that. The theatre-loving audience that Kolkata has, we get to see that in very few places.
Upcoming Works
Panchayat and some films and web series are in the pipeline.