When Shahiri met theatre: Explore this performance that unfolds as a sung story

What happens when grassroots Shahiri meets contemporary theatre The result is Kavan Centuriesold Dalit oral traditions take shape in a new musical form billed not as a play but as an Ambedkarite operaKavan draws from the traditions of Shahiri a form of Dalit resistance poetry and song that has historically been sung in public spaces to take Babasaheb Ambedkarrsquos teachings to the massesKavan is also about making caste seen and heard in urban spaces where itrsquos often obscuredThe word opera might raise eyebrows Often associated with velvetdraped balconies and Western classical training the form seems a far cry from grassroots activism But director Abhishek Majumdar is quick to challenge that perceptionKavan follows the story of Bejul and those around him as they navigate their dreams desires and dilemmas through the lens of caste and class in a rapidly changing India ldquoAn opera has questions of life and death in the form of song unlike a musicalrdquo says Majumdar ldquoOnly Western opera became associated with the elite Historically it was the form of workingclass people Similarly Kavan emerges from a peoplersquos movementrdquo he explains ldquoWersquore not reclaiming Western opera wersquore using the word for what it truly means a sung story with high emotional stakes and formal disciplinerdquoFor Abhishek Majumdar the process of creating Kavan was as educational as it was artisticThat form in this case is Shahiri a Dalit musical tradition with deep roots across Maharashtra and southern India With a cast of Lok Shahirs peoplersquos poets every element of Kavan is shaped by their lived experiences and musical legacyThe name Kavan too carries layered meaning ldquoItrsquos the Marathi word for poems that are sung not writtenrdquo Majumdar says ldquoIt reflects both the oral musical nature of the piece and the story of the Shahir the peoplersquos poet it followsrdquoKavan draws from the traditions of Shahiri a form of Dalit resistance poetry and songAt its heart Kavan is a collaboration with members of Yalgaar Sanskrutik Manch a cultural and musical collective grounded in Ambedkarite thoughtldquoIrsquove been a huge admirer of Yalgaarrsquos workrdquo says Majumdar ldquoSo I came in not as someone directing lsquomyrsquo play but as someone entrusted with real voices real stories My job was to help shape Yalgaarrsquos visionrdquoUnlike traditional topdown productions Kavan grew organically through dialogue The process involved months of conversation song creation and dialogue The ensemble which includes Siddharth Pratibhawant Pravin Mukta Priypal Dashantee Amruta Todarmal Apurva Kadam and Dhammarakshit Randhive worked along with writer Sudhesh Jadhav Irawati Karnik and Abhishek MajumdarldquoWe first spoke about this idea during the COVID lockdowns It probably took us two or two and a half years to write practice and piece the play togetherrdquo says RandhiveKadam adds ldquoTherersquos a lot of personal association that each performing actor feels throughout All the scenes are written out of personal experiencesrdquoThe ensemble says that the process and acting exercises to reach production were a long road Yet Majumdar is quick to point out that Yalgaar needed no lesson in theatricality ldquoIn realismbased theatre wersquore always asking wherersquos the drama But Shahiri is inherently dramaticrdquo he says ldquoThe way they Yalgaar performmdashwith dhols ek taras ghungroosmdashitrsquos already theatre Our challenge was just to find the right staging language for this new formrdquoIf Kavan is about voice and music itrsquos also about visibility making caste seen and heard in urban spaces where itrsquos often obscured Majumdar shares a striking anecdote ldquoA woman from a Valmiki basti told us she came to Mumbai hoping for relief In her village upper castes had blocked their wells In the city the water tanker came at 3 AM so she lined up from midnight Itrsquos not that the oppression ended it just changed shaperdquoFor Majumdar the process of creating Kavan was as educational as it was artistic ldquoThere are things you know and things you donrsquot know you donrsquot know Working on Kavan exposed bothrdquoDespite the heaviness of its themes Kavan isnrsquot designed to lecture It moves it sings it breathes ldquoI hope the audience enjoys the songsrdquo Majumdar says ldquoBut Irsquom also sure they will step out and see the city differently I have watched it happen during previous showsrdquoYalgaar says that there is no special message ldquoItrsquos simply the history of the discriminatory society we live in It shows the psychological trauma and the years of slavery that have been enforced on usrdquo Kadam adds ldquoItrsquos our way to tell the audience to come sit and have a dialogue about casterdquo Or as Randhive puts it ldquoWe are saying Jai Bhim Dosti ZindabadrdquoFollowing its Mumbai shows Kavan is headed to the Serendipity Festival in Goa later this year and a Pune staging is also in the works Soon they will kick off their international tour as well with a performance at The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi and later a US tour as wellBut what Majumdar is most excited about is ldquoWe are creating a sitespecific version which will only be performed at Nirmik Cultural Centre in Kandivali Eastrdquo which is also Yalgaarrsquos home Audiences can expect a performance twice a month hereWHERE Prithvi Theatre JuhuWHEN August 1 and 2PRICE Rs 500BOOK BookMyShowPoetry of equalityAn allied programme Poetry of Equality will see four poets mdash Dr Abhijit Shahaji Khandkar Disha Pinki Sheikh Sharmishta Bhosale Dr Sudam Rathod mdash share their work in English and Marathi The poets from diverse backgrounds will share works that challenge discrimination affirm human worth and inspire collective hopeWHERE Prithvi HouseWHEN August 2 2 pm to 315 pmTO BOOK Preregister at IGyalgaar14