Ludhiana: With OTT, movies in rage, theatre takes a back seat
The main purpose of theatre is to make people aware about societal issues but the audience nowadays is mostly inclined towards just entertainment even if they do not gain anything out of it
The once much-loved form of art, theatre, has been gradually losing its sheen and charm mainly due to lack of finances and the meteoric rise of over-the-top platforms that has hooked youngsters and adults alike to the variety of content they offer.
Every year, March 27 is observed as the World Theatre Day for people to value and learn the importance of this art form.
Highlighting the lack of support from the government to keep this art form alive, Tarlochan Singh, writer, actor and a director said, “Due to lack of facilities for theatre artists, people nowadays do not consider making their careers in theatre and prefer working in movies and daily soaps. Besides Amritsar, Bathinda, Chandigarh and Patiala, no other city in the state has adequate infrastructure for theatre to flourish.”
Singh is the head of “Rang Manch Rang Nagri” theatre group and has himself directed a number of plays including “Balde Tibbe” and “Loha Kutt”.
He mentioned that the main purpose of theatre is to make people aware about societal issues but the audience nowadays is mostly inclined towards just entertainment even if they do not gain anything out of it.
“There is no financial support from the government for theatre, for how long would we keep on spending from our own pockets?” he added.
Nirmal Rishi, a renowned movie actor, reminiscing her old days, said, “I started performing theatre in the 1960s and even do it now. The desire to act in movies has increased over the years with the main reason being the monetary benefits.”
She also highlighted the positive impact of theatre on an actor’s life and career.
Commenting on the relevance of theatre, Parmjeet Singh Sohi, famously known as Sardar Sohi, a well known Punjabi actor, said, “Theatre was, is and would always be relevant. We just need to generate an audience by providing them with the best we can. New age actors lack patience, which is much needed to survive as an actor, be it in theatre or movies.”
Sarabjit Singh, president of Punjabi Sahit Akademi (PSA), mentioned the formation of a new team meant to promote literature and theatre.
“The responsibility is on all of us to produce quality content to attract maximum audience for the generation of funds as there is no government policy for language and culture as of now,” he said, adding that for the very first time, PSA would be organising a four-day book fair followed by Punjabi plays in the evening in November.
