Can and able

Dhumal man hai toh dhumal jag sara jeevan ka yeh rang kyon na lage pyara dhumal dhumal dhumal reWhen a group of Persons with Disabilities PwD sang these lines at the January inauguration of Purple Fest Goa 2024 a colourful world of boundless possibilities were manifested by all attendeesmdashabled and differentlyabledmdashirrespective of age political leaning social background race and gender Suddenly acceptance and inclusion were in the air and appreciation wore an identifiable colourmdashit was dhumal purple a colour also associated with power independence and dignityI was privy to a defining global moment in the disability rights movement when 13000 delegates from 17 countries pledged to create opportunities for PwD in a purple world where people are not defined by their physicalmental weaknesses but by their diverse skills and gritExactly four months later I was once again treated to the same purpletinted optimistic world created by an art designerinnovator who was a key contributor to the Purple Fest I watched the Sumeet Patildirected Marathi play RangGandh written by Dr Pranav Prabhu Literally the title translates to ldquocolour and fragrancerdquo But it represents far more It brings alive a rich multidimensional tactile and olfactory world in which PwDs navigate with touch smell and voice This world is populated by the wheelchairbound who need assistance it is characterised by the sightless who need cues and landmarks But their world is not marked by surrender and selfpity Instead it roars with gritty laughter and spunkCaptures the cast sharing a light moment with director Sumeet Patil PicKirti Surve ParadeRangGandh is a funfilled musical experiential tourmdasha deeply intimate encounter with seven PwDs who play themselves in the 125 hourlong drama RangGandh is a drama within a drama It revolves around the anxieties and pressures faced by seven actors Prashant Yadav Yogita Tambe Pratiksha Dolas Jayesh Baniya Aakansha Wakde Kavikiran Patil and Jyoti MastekarThese artistes are unable to mount a play because of accessibility issues Devoted actors but disabled individuals do not make the cut in the contest Actors seek a catharsis in sharing their disappointment with the audienceDespite being sightless the actors can visualise Lord Vitthal in a unique form shape and colour They sense the radiance of a bright morning sun They are not afraid of the starless night they have internalised darkness in their consciousness RangGandh is a milestone in Sumeet Patilrsquos personal journey as a stakeholder in disability rights advocacy The 34yearold multidisciplinary artist has been working with visually and physically challenged persons for two decades He was initiated into the world of the disabled particularly sightless from the King George school days in Dadar After acquiring a postgraduate degree in Applied Art from Rachna Sansad he started teaching visual arts to the sightless He recently earned his doctorate in the subject of visual empowerment He currently guides 3000plus disabled students spread across 10 educational institutions in Maharashtra Four of his past students are part of RangGandhrsquos cast In factthe play is part of his colourfragrance therapy programme in which he presents an identifiable aromascent with a colour thereby helping the impaired person to draw and paint without assistance The play includes a live RangGandh demo which enables disabled actors to paint in realtime on stage While lemongrass aroma leads them to the green colour frangipani scent guides them to the yellow on the palette just as the rose essence confirms a bright red offering The playrsquos props further underline the philosophy of inclusionmdashmasks representative of all types of disabilities a landscape painting explained in Braille a symbolic tree with leaves resembling music notations most importantly a makeshift ramp which adds a new dimension on stageRangGandh advocates accessible theatre the seven performers are fierce advocates for the rights of the disabled They underline the collective national shame of not having accessible performance spaces in India Even after 77 years of Independence and claiming a rich multilingual theatre tradition in 15odd states why does the nation lack disabledfriendly performance spaces with better toilets safer restrooms convenient ramps and assistive technology Also when will the conventional stage have Braille signage for the sightlessWhy do designersbuildersarchitects and civic authorities not think of assisted listening devices flexible seating and grab bars for the divyang while creating new facilities Why are the disabled so low on the priority order Chief Minister Eknath Shinde inaugurated the annual grand 100th Marathi drama summit at Chinchwad this January but can the Marathi theatre industry boast of a single accessible auditoriumldquoIn Western countries even the crowded tourist destinations have mobilityhearing aids for the impaired their recreational spaces cater to the needs of the handicapped The developed world is defined by accessible public transportation offered to people across ages and abilities In India things are far from favourable which is why I want to do my bit to change the scenariordquo says Patil who is now prepping for RangGandhrsquos21st performance at the International Education Entrepreneur Summit Dubai Patilwill travel overseas with the cast well aware of the logistical challenges ldquoIt will be a joy to be with the seven actors in the Education Sensations event We want to make a lsquowecandoittogetherrsquo statement I will double up as the soundlightscostume manager toordquo he chuckles acknowledging the 22 backstage artists who support RangGandhEach show is a feat and made possible only with the coming together of allies and advocates Shreerang Charitable Trust and Rangved have joined hands to make the nonticketed play viable Artists from varied disciplineschoreographers Tanvi Palav Jyoti Mastekar acousticlightset experts Shital Talpade Sunita Ramteke lyricists Spruha Joshi curators and costume designers have pooled in their resources and ideas to enable the stars on stage Also tremendous effort goes into finding newer avenues of performance since the traditional spaces are unaffordable The play has been performed for varied audiences all over Maharashtra both in Hindi and Marathi while retaining the Marathi folk musical flavour through popular numbers Akansha Wakdersquos lavani choreography and playback by Pratiksha Dolas both visuallyimpaired provide an unforgettable highlight in inclusive theatrePatil feels RangGandh will turn into a powerful educational tool once it reaches stakeholders in the disabilities spectrum especially considering that over 30 million people live with seenunseen physicalmental disabilities At this point donations collected from the playrsquos patrons are being repurposed for furthering the disabilitiesrsquo cause Patil aims to turn the performances into an umbrella platform where the disabled can share experienceslife lessonsideas vend craft productspromotional items lobby for a ramptoiletbus seat and meet the larger family of friends In the past Patil has designed many accessibility toolsmdashradium sticks or stencil outlines for colouringmdashwhich help the PwDs in their daily tasks and these are set to be publicised on the RangGandh stage Incidentally Patilrsquos short 23minute film Tarang also dwells on a blind girl struggling in a school for able students Her pursuit to learn the arts particularly painting takes baby steps The film underscoring the significance of inclusive education will soon be screened in the US under the aegis of the North American Film AssociationRangGandhrsquos script is advocacyfocused but it can be terser if the crew wish to smoothen the narrative flow Its strength though is that the play is a work in progress The script is improvised after every show so as to iron out the logistical glitches and also streamline the content ldquoOur team asks for suggestions from the usual theatregoer not necessarily disabled We want the ideas of inclusion to be shared widely beyond advocacy circlesrdquo says Yogita Tambe a senior actor who also plays tabla She feels actors and audience enjoy the play because the latter are not put on a spot ldquoWe donrsquot play the blame game or criticise common people who are not associated with the movement We do however give a gentle reminder to all enablers in the audience about how small actions of helpsensitivity and not necessarily monetary can make a big differencerdquoThe play also recommends that the audience resort to inclusive language in their daily lives At one point in the play the actors speak aloud all the objectionable terms that are in currency Ae andhalya disat nahi kaa Hey you blind bat canrsquot you see ldquoMoorkhbahira aikat nahirdquo Hard of hearing fool Such regressive statements even if unintentional undermine the progress of the disability rights movementRangGandh is inspiring because it is driven by a poetic pursuit of the natural environment It begins with Saint Tukaramrsquos Vrikshavalli Amha Soyari Vanchare declaring allegiance to a wholesome peaceful human existence that is close to the trees birds animals and skies It looks for simple solutions of coexistence and cooperation that come from nature The cast seeks solace in the uniting power of the performing arts They want music and hope in the air not just for themselves but for all minorities seeking assimilationSumedha RaikarMhatre is a culture columnist in search of the subtext You can reach her at sumedharaikarmiddaycom