The Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) is a leftist body, established during 1943-44 to propagate progressive ideas though art and theatre. Stalwarts like Prithviraj Kapoor, Balraj Sahani, Pandit Ravi Shakar, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and Ritwik Ghatak were behind this venture. Those were the days when the Quit India Movement was at its peak, and the Bengal famine was claiming millions of helpless Indians. In due course, IPTA mothered many other progressive theatre groups in India. Sombhu Mitra, Trupti Mitra formed ‘Bohurepee’ in Kolkata, and Jana Natya Mandir of Delhi is run on the ideology of IPTA.
This is the 75th year of IPTA and as part of the celebrations it has revived some of its classics which are attracting huge crowds. Bilkis Begum ka Baada is one of them, which is an adaption of Spanish poet and dramatist Federico Garcia Lorca’s (1898-1936) famous trilogy. Lorca wrote The House of Bernarda Alba in 1936. Lorca was leftist and fought during the Spanish Civil War, and was finally shot down by the supporters of General Francisco Franco on 20th August 1936, in Granada.
Lorca’s last play
The House of Bernarda Alba is Lorca’s last play. The play centres around the events of a house in Andalusia during a period of mourning. In this house, Bernarda Alba (aged 60) wields total control over her five daughters – Angustias (39), Magdalena (30), Amelia (27), Martirio (24) and Adela (20). In addition to these six women, the house also has La Poncia (the housekeeper) and Maria Josefa (Bernarda’s elderly mother).
Is it any wonder that the lack of male characters in the play builds up high levels of tension? Lorca has weaved the story so smartly that even Romano, the love interest of Bernarda’s daughters and suitor of Angustias, never appears on the stage. This is very interesting and in the end, a very effective tool by which Lorca builds palpable tension among the sisters and her mother.
The play opens when the domineering matriarch Bernarda Alba has just lost her second husband, and has imposed eight years of mourning in accordance with the family tradition. This isolation further separates the unmarried who are pining for male company. Augustias, the eldest daughter, has inherited a fortune from her father, Bernarda’s first husband, whereas Bernarda’s second husband has left very little for his four daughters. As is expected, Augustias’s wealth attracts Romano, who is much younger than her. The youngest, Adela, is rebellious by spirit and defies her mother’s tight discipline. It turns out that Adela and Romano are having a secret affair. All hell breaks loose, and Bernarda pursues Romano with a gun. A gunshot is heard and Bernarda comes back. Adela feels that Bernarda has killed Romano and runs into her room. Then Bernarda tell others that Romano fled on his pony. Adela hangs herself in her room. To maintain the family reputation Bernarda tells all that Adela died a virgin, and no one is to cry. The play ends on this sad note.
The Indian adaptation
IPTA has presented the play in Hindi under the title of Bilkis Begum ka Baada and located it in Nawab’s haveli in Uttar Pradesh. This is why the adaptation (or rather it’s Indianisation) is so convincing. Family pride and virginity of a woman are issues dear to our heart even in this 21st century. The adaptation has been done by Raghubir Sahay and Shama Zaidi competently.
It is directed by Masood Akhtar and sets, lights and sound are designed by old IPTA hand M.S. Sathyu. It has a huge cast that includes Malishka Mendonsa, Ruchi Sharma, Manju Sharma, Priya Sahdev, Manisha Mondal, Nisha Gupta, Saumya Raghuvanshi, Anuradha Shabadi, Namrata Dalal, Kamna Pathak, Ranjana Srivastava, and Neha Bam.
Lorca’s play holds relevance even today as we still witness remnants of feudal culture and mindset. We read daily about honour killings and lack of freedom for women to make sexual choices. And the most important is the issue of family property. Romano is willing to marry Augustia for her wealth, while he loves Adela. Then there is a powerful undercurrent of feminine jealousy. Adela and Augustia cannot stand each other as Augustia suspects rightly that Romano loves Adela and not her. The remaining three daughters take delight in gossiping about Adela-Augustia-Romano. Almost each scene in the play is palpable with unsatiated sexual desires. The daughters always discuss matrimony, husband, kids and other related issues, while they keep themselves busy with old feminine skills like weaving, stitching, etc. This lends credibility to the plot which takes place in the early decades of the 20th century in a small village of Uttar Pradesh. Often the tension on stage is reduced as there is enough song and dance. These unmarried girls have La Poncia as their guide, friend and philosopher who keep sharing her knowledge of men with these girls who are eager to lap up every single piece of information about males.
This play mounted by IPTA is a masterpiece by Lorca and has been competently presented by India’s famous and committed theatre group.
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Prof. Avinash Kolhe
Prof. Avinash Kolhe retired as Associate Professor in Political Science from D.G. Ruparel College, Mumbai.[/column]