Staging 'Aag Lagi Hai' at Mishrikh Tehsil Office

The play, Aag Lagi Hai Jangal Ma (The jungle is burning), was collectively created by 15 members and supporters of Sangtin Kisaan Mazdoor Sangathan (SKMS) in Sitapur in August 2011 under the direction of Tarun Kumar. Based on the experiences that the saathis of SKMS have had with the implementation of India's National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), the play comments on the corruption and violence of development projects; explores intersecting axes of power and difference; and underscores the need for committed alliance work to enact social justice. The saathis of SKMS have staged this play multiple times since 2011.

• For a short film on the making of this play, click here  
• For a PDF of the script in Hindi, click here

People gather at Mishrikh Tehsil on 8 July 2013 as SKMS saathis perform Aag Lagi Hai Jangal Ma

Bitoli confronts the BDO (Anil)

Kusuma tells the Pradhan (Prakash) that his lies will not be tolerated

Kusuma chases the BDO

Meena and Surendra pose hard questions about the systems of multiple oppressions

Rambeti joins in

Tama asks why there is no money to pay the workers when the legislators give themselves raises?

Tama announces - Hulla Bol!

BDO pretends not to be able to hear Tama

The group sings 'Aag lagi hai jangal ma, chidiya aag bujhaye rahi'

Staging Ismat Chughtai's 'Do Haath' (A Pair of Hands)

A group of 10 amateur actors -- mostly from Indian and Pakistani backgrounds -- came together in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-Saint Paul during summer of 2008 to read the works of authors such as Nazeer Akbarabadi, Ismat Chughtai, Saadat Hasan Manto, and Habib Tanvir in Hindi and Urdu. The collective called itself Parakh Theater Group and worked together for two months to develop a play based on Ismat Apa's story, Do Haath (A Pair of Hands).  The play was staged in Pangea World Theater in September 2008. With Tarun Kumar as the artistic director, this effort was organized by Richa Nagar and was supported by the Pangea World Theater and the University of Minnesota. Below are some glimpses from rehearsals of Do Haath.

• For a blurb about the story and event, click here
• For a PDF of this play in Hindi, click here

Amma's Darbar
(L to R: Nighat Yasmin, Richa Nagar, Medha, Meera Sehgal, Brendan LaRocque, David Faust, Divya Karan)

Divya as the first narrator (sootradhar) of Do Haath

Richa as the second narrator of Do Haath

Tarun Kumar (centre) explains the scene to Yasmin, Divya, and Medha

Mehatrani (Yasmin) blesses Ratiram (Navneet Narayan) and Gori (Subha Narayan)

Gori's ghoonghat reemerges with the arrival of Ratiram

Gori (Subha) and Ratiram (Navneet) take an oath of love

Rabiya and Medha announce that the second day is also a full house!

Staging Asghar Wajahat's 'Main Hindu Hoon' (I am Hindu)

Justice Syed Hyder Abbas Raza discusses the story's relevance 

In June and July 2013, Tarun Kumar and Richa Nagar co-organized and co-led a workshop on "Rangmanch Rachnatmak Chintan" (Creative Reflection through Theatre) with 16 amateur and beginning actors in Lucknow. The group explored the politics of communalism, riots, terrorism, and masculinity through Asghar Wajahat's story, Main Hindu Hoon (I am Hindu). The members of the group worked for 7 hours every day for two weeks and staged the story on 6 July 2013 in Lucknow's Rai Umanath Bali Auditorium.

• For a PDF of a theatrical adaptation of 'Main Hindu Hoon' in Hindi, click here

Richa Nagar shares the group's process and methodology

Amma (Hema Sharma), Abba (Naseem Shaikh) and Safia (Shalini Pandey) in the opening scene

Saifu (Amritpal) cleans Safia's (Shalini') shoes

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The look-outs (Ankesh Katiyar, Samaksh Saksena, Amritpal Singh, Subrato Rai, Akhilesh Kasaudhan)

Saifu (Amritpal) is teased by the look-outs 

Sajju (Gaurav) and Akram (Akhilesh) ask Saifu to
 come home as Saifu declares "Main Hindu Hoon"

Abba (Naseem) expresses concern to the elderly folks
that the boys are traumatizing Saifu 

The look-outs discuss the politics of riots and elections

Saifu (Amritpal) surrounded by the rest of the cast in the closing scene

Cast of Main Hindu Hoon with director, Tarun Kumar

The Making of 'Aag Lagi Hai Jangal Ma'

A short film on the making of Aag Lagi Hai Jangal Ma (The Jungle is Burning) with saathis of Sangtin Kisaan Mazdoor Sangathan (SKMS, Sitapur), in August 2010.