December 21, 2003

The inclusion of Agha Hashr Kashmiri’s plays in the repertoire of modern Indian theatre helped the latter attain maturity

WHEN an enlightened drama buff thinks of theatre, he is reminded of Ancient Greece, where drama/theatre used to be a great pastime.

The statue of Dionysus, the god of wine, used to be carried through the streets of Athens, leading a procession to the outdoor hillside theatre where plays were staged. More than one play, religious in content and patriotic in character, were staged daily. The spectators were charmed by the dramatic presentation of the stories of gods and heroes, who had the added excitement of witnessing a contest for the best playwright.

The origin of theatre in India is traced to the Ramayan and the Mahabharata, the two holy books, which are among the oldest in the world. Greek and Indian dramas are reputed to have interacted with each other, metamorphosing into a refined art form. Whereas the Greek theatre was known for tragedy, it was not an ineluctable ingredient of Indian drama.

The New Theatre Movement in the subcontinent, of which Agha Hashr was one of the pioneers and promoter, served to develop, promote and incorporate new elements of stage craft in contradistinction with those which were based on the parameters set in Sanskrit plays of yore. Despite this forward movement, some highly creative persons in theatre were not fully content with the progress. They became restless but determined in their search for new tools and techniques to improve theatre presentations. They were also acutely aware of the world beyond the stage door, and were eager to make creative contact with it. The protagonists of the New Theatre Movement resolved to develop new standards but no shackles, a vision but not a preconception for a future repertory to be experienced equally by performers and their audiences. It was due to these factors that theatre became a positive force in the lives of the people.

Modern Indian theatre did not become completely “Indian” until the beginning of the 20th century. The inclusion of Agha Hashr Kashmiri’s plays in its repertoire helped Indian theatre in attaining maturity. Before his appearance on the cultural firmament, theatre in the subcontinent was much under the influence of the techniques and formats of Sanskrit drama, and plays from the Ramayan and the Mahabharata were staged quite so often.

To many theatre enthusiasts, specially the urbanites, it is entertainment associated with neon signs and phony glitter with opulence and gaudiness that masks shallowness. Before its quality of drama started cloying, touring theatrical companies provided a better alternative, specially for the village folks who were entertained by the millions every year. Although a majority of theatrical companies originated in large cities such as Calcutta, Bombay, Lucknow and Lahore, it was not a matter of location as such that mattered; it was a state of mind. If city theatre evoked images of shallowness and superficial slickness, the touring rural theatre brought to the mind images of dedicated artistes who spent gypsy-like lives, always on the move, visiting places through the length and breadth of the subcontinent.

The stories of Alfred, Maiden and Parsi Theatre Companies and other pioneering groups hold much interest for those who want to observe subcontinental theatre in its proper perspective. One must, however, consider the efforts of these groups both as a modern development as well as an extension of Sanskrit and Hindi stage.

On the surface, the history of subcontinental theatre seems simple. Soon after the consolidation of Parsi Theatre, several noteworthy efforts to transform Indian stage into a modern art form were made almost simultaneously at Calcutta and Bombay. The emergence of Parsi Theatre seemed an outcome of a wealthy family’s interest in social welfare and enlightenment of the masses. The artistic achievements of the Alfred Theatre in Calcutta and the Parsi Theatre in Bombay were manifest in two major productions, featuring Occidental and Oriental stylization. One was the first professional production of Inder Sabha, written during the reign of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Oudh, and the other, the Hindu classic Mahabharata.

For senior denizens, Agha Muhammad Shah Hashr Kashmiri hardly needs an introduction. A man of many parts, he was a poet, a playwright, an orator and a humorist. Born in Amritsar in the early 1880s (some claim Benaras to be his birthplace), he was bred and raised in Benaras, where his father did business in Kashmiri shawls.

From early childhood, he showed strong proclivity for creativity, first by composing poetry and later in writing dramas for theatre companies. As a schoolboy, he was inspired by a theatre company visiting Benaras. He literally ran away from home, depriving himself of the filial love of his parents and ended up in Bombay, where he got a job with Alfred Theatre. His stay there in the beginning put relentless strains on his impressionable mind and emotions, exposing his endurance to a massive trial.

Agha Hashr’s contributions to the flowering of drama (theatre) as a literary genre have been widely acclaimed by critics, historians and artistes associated with the development, refinement and promotion of theatrical arts. He was a firebrand orator, perceptive poet, prolific writer and surprisingly a well-informed theologian who participated in several declamation contests with Hindu and Christian priests. Always feeling the pulse of the people, and like a good doctor, he kept contempraniety of the situation in mind when writing plays, reflecting social, political, cultural and economic ethos of the period, including specific interests and attitudes of the people. His plays and poetry echoed the sentiments of the people. However, through his plays, he conveyed optimism and hope for the masses.

Agha Hashr’s first job in Bombay was with Alfred Theatrical Company for which he wrote five plays: Mureed-i-Shauq, Maar Aasteen, Pak Daman, Thandi Aag and Aseer-i-Hirs. The company always looked for new talent and the famous and soon-to-be famous writers and artistes provided it good plays. Hashr used his job with the company as a springboard to jump on to greater heights in popularity.

The New Theatre Movem-ent was eclectic in nature and was not dogmatic in its philosophy. It became evident that curiosities about life and creative art and a remarkable willingness to conduct experiments in a variety of styles characterized the New Theatre Movement.

This tendency was vividly exemplified by the conduct of avant-garde writers and promoters, and the greatest asset of the Movement was the discovery of Agha Hashr Kashmiri. From 1897 to 1931, Agha Hashr wrote 32 plays, a novel, Bumbaeey (Bombay) and a large volume of poetry. The thrust of his plays was on the exposure of moral and social issues; political and nationalistic yearnings of the people and on other variegated topics.

Included among the popular plays of the Indian Shakespeare were Turki Hoor, Khoobsoorat Bala, Yahudi ki Larki, Rustom aur Sohrab, Nek Parveen and Aankh ka Nasha in the moral and social category, and Hindostan, Dil ki Pyaas and Samaj ka Shikar in the political and nationalistic domains. His other popular plays were Khawab-i-Hasti, Aurat ka Pyar, Naara-i-Tauheed, not forgetting to mention Sharoon Kumar, Sita Bun Baas, Bhagat Soordas and Bhisham Pritigia in the mythological category.

He died in Lahore on April 28, 1935, while working on the script of his film Beesham Pritigia, which did not leave the production stage. Before shifting to Lahore, he set up his own theatrical company, which failed to bring him much financial returns.

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