DailyPost 136
PLAYWRIGHT’s DELIGHT
William Shakespeare will be turning his grave to have missed out on great plots, Chennai being the recent one; Lucknow, Arunachal Pradesh etc would have fuelled his desire to churn out iconic plays, which he was more than competent of. Modern democracies have much more to offer, in comparison to the monarchies of yesterdays. Wish conspicuous state funding of quality literature as in monarchies, it would have filled the void of both satire & plays.
It’s our lack of understanding of satire in its entirety that we keep churning out deep political analysis, when there exists none. It’s the right age and time for political satire. France has a culture of the same and adds its own type vibrancy to the democratic system. It might be the best way to make both the electorate and the dramatis personas to understand as to where we are heading for. The current incidents are antithetical to the political direction the states should take in the closing years of the second decade of the 21st century.
Wit is directly proportional to intellect and has the capability to deliver message with a long lasting imprint. Gone are the days of RK Laxman as well and hardly anybody could reach his iconic stature. One cartoon could convey what the whole newspaper couldn’t and still holds sway of the imagination of readers who have experienced him.
Whether is because of the sudden implant of democracy not so suitable to the prevalent infrastructure or the large number of dramatis personas who decided our fate post independence, there is enough fodder for playwrights and diligently written and enacted would add a new genre of writing and plays, so important an indicator of a vibrant democracy and tolerance which comes with it. Even the most acute form of difference of opinion is a part of democratic baggage and needs to be taken further.
PLAYWRIGHTS AND OTHERS OF THAT ILK, HELP CREATE A DEEP ROOTED DEMOCRATIC CULTURE.
Sanjay Sahay