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| In Gaya, for art | | ON STAGE |
| Kirti Jain / New Delhi Nov 16, 2008, 00:15 IST |
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Sanjay Sahay has founded a centre that appreciates art.
L ast month my group was invited to perform in the most unusual places that I could have imagined. It was unusual, not just for where it was situated but for it’s complete attention to detail. As we entered the complex, a white building with a portico supported by large Athenian pillars held our attention. We then entered a long corridor which was adorned on both sides with large posters of several plays, international films and classical music performances.
The corridor led us to a 160-seater theatre auditorium with plush seats and a large stage. We then discovered that the stage floor had been done up with expensive wooden flooring, there was adequate wing space for keeping properties and sets during performances and it was equipped with state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment.
We came out into the corridor and were led to another 100-seater auditorium which was meant for film viewing, done up with equal élan. On the first floor was a large hall, the size of the theatre auditorium, that doubled up as a library and a rehearsal space for the theatre group.
It could also be used for seminars or art exhibitions.
The crowning glory, however, was a cafeteria along the same corridor as the auditorium, with European-style furniture in teakwood, and matching décor. Oh, did I mention we were in Gaya? Yes, the same Gaya of Bihar fame, notorious for criminals and thieves, with its only saving grace its proximity to Bodh Gaya. But this centre changed our entire perspective.
The Renaissance Cultural Centre, as this oasis is called, is the brain-child of Sanjay Sahay, a businessman and writer interested in arts and literature who has built this complex at a cost of around Rs 3 crore — mostly his own money. Since financial gain is hardly on the cards, he chooses to focus his energies on controlling the kinds of activities that can happen there and the people who can frequent it, his aim being the “culturisation” of the people of his city.
He has enlisted the support of like-minded people in the city — through memberships — who attend programmes organised by him and even contribute financially towards this good effort, sharing part of the recurring annual expenditure. But Sahay bears most of the annual expenditure of activities, apart from refurbishing and updating equipment.
The performance of our play not only saw a full house but an audience that appreciated a serious political play and wanted to discuss it long after it was over. It was a dream come true to sit in the café discussing our performance with members of the audience over hot cups of tea. Where do we have this luxury even in a city like Delhi? And where do we have philanthropists who have a sense of the importance of the arts and are even willing to use their own money without looking for immediate financial returns? What Sahay does get is tremendous goodwill and — I presume — satisfaction.
In any case, he made our visit to Gaya really memorable by springing this pleasant surprise on us.
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