It’s been seventy five glorious years since India freed herself from the clutches of colonial rule. If we have to look back on a few movies that give us goosebumps till date with its reminiscence of the tortuous past, Lagaan stands out significantly. The city recently witnessed seventeen children come together to recreate glimpses from the film live on stage at Bhasha Bhawan, National Library in an adaptation named Once Upon a Time in India. Organised as collaboration between a mother-child creative platform named Friday Fever Club and popular city based theatre group Shriek of Silence, the production was an attempt to imbibe the patriotic essence of this film within children aged between 5 to 11 years, and also get closer to their mother tongue Hindi. While sixteen kids weaved magic on stage, another joined them through a pre-recorded video which was aesthetically included in the play as an integral part of it. We bring to you excerpts and glimpses from the performance:
Friday Fever Club:
Established four years back in 2018, the Friday Fever Club was established to create a creative platform for kids that would unleash their potentials beyond the classroom. Created by city based mums, this group brings in the concept of a mother-toddler platform that will also enhance the knowledge of children through various artistic productions. Once Upon a Time in India is Friday Fever Club’s second production since 2019, when they organised an act on the festivals of India titled Melange of Celebrations.
Shriek of Silence:
A city based multilingual theatre collective who educate and imbibe life skills through the means of acting live on stage. The group recently completed a decade since its formation and was established by Suprovo Tagore back when he was in college.
Quotes from Shriek of Silence:
· Suprovo Tagore:
“When we talk about theatre we often focus on recreating or adapting a classic, and Lagaan is one such legendary film that has always intrigued us. Lagaan changed the face of Indian cinema in multiple ways and kids in their formative years should be aware of it. This production is all the more meaningful as it pays a tribute to the Indian independence movement and collides with Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The production brings forth the true essence of patriotism without showing any bloodshed or political references,”
· Ritwika Chaudhuri:
“There are sixteen characters in the play that resonate with the characters from the film, but some of the characters are being portrayed by the opposite gender since the number of girls is greater than boys in the team. We have also customised the dialogues and made it into an adaptation of the film,”
Parents Speak:
· Aditi Jatia
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“My daughter Vaanya is nine years old and portrayed the role of the Indian Queen. This was her second theatre performance and I couldn’t be more proud of her. It’s a mixed bag of feelings seeing all the kids come together on stage, and makes me wonder how beautifully they have grown up so soon”
· Siddhika Jalan:
“The Friday Fever Club has existed for a long time now and we have already organised our first production in 2019. Most of the kids in this production are from established city based institutions that are not co-ed, hence this platform also nurtures their ability to freely interact with the opposite gender without any preconceived inhibition. My son Shivank Jalan plays the lead role Bhuvan in this production while my younger one Shivana is playing Bhuvan’s sister in the play,”
· Sonali Lakotia
“I am pretty new in this group but I find this platform to be a great way to make the children engage in something that explores their artistic sides beyond the classrooms. Kids these days are burdened with back to back classes and hardly make any time for free play, this is just a way to ensure both the mums and kids meet other like minded people thus forming a support system. This also helps the kids move beyond digital screens and engage in some real time activity. My son Viraj Lakhotia is 11 years old and playing the role of Ismail, who is initially very reluctant about the cricket challenge thrown at them by the British but eventually starts understanding the importance of a team and how they together can defeat the opponents,”
· Vasuprada Dalmia:
“Kids have had a blast doing this and were not ready to miss their classes for anything back when we were preparing for the show. It’s been a very heartwarming experience for us mothers,”
· Manasi Jalan
“My daughter Aariya is nine years old and a powerhouse of energy and creativity. She has been a part of multiple concerts and plays since she was in Montessori and it is wonderful to see the little kids put up such a great performance. Aariya has comprised the role of Bhumi in Once Upon a Time in India,”
· Varsha Todi
“It’s the second time that my child is performing on stage and I think the entire production was beyond superb. The previous production that we carried out right before the pandemic was with the same team and same production house and it’s been a rewarding experience for both the kids and us. My daughter Swarna Todi performed as Yashoda Maa on stage today,”
· Isha Khaitan:
“I have two kids Vanya and Anika. Vanya is 9 years old and she performed as Mukhiya Ji in this play while Anika reprised the role of Captain Boyer. I think the level of confidence they have come up with is absolutely commendable and S.O.S team has been fantastic,”
Picture Credits: Pritam Sarkar and Suman Roy