The challenge is to connect NSD with India: Waman Kendre

Interview with Director of National School of Drama (NSD)

After a year's delay, the government finally formalised the appointment of a new director for the National School of Drama (NSD) in August. A practitioner of both folk and modern theatre, this former NSD alumnus played a key role in the Dalit theatre movement in Maharashtra in the 1970s. Seated in the office which has been occupied in the past by stalwarts like Ebrahim Alkazi and Ratan Thiyam, Waman Kendre talks to Avantika Bhuyan about his vision for the institution

What is your vision for NSD?

The National School of Drama is one of the premiere institutions of Asia. All the past directors, faculty and alumni, including me (laughs), have contributed a lot in terms of creating a respect for the institute. Keeping this rich heritage in mind, I will have to add value to this legacy. I am talking to the faculty, NSD Chairman Ratan Thiyam, alumni and the theatre fraternity about their expectations. I was a member of the NSD society between 2000 and 2005, so I have always been connected with the institute. The challenge is to bring academics under prime focus.

What challenges do you foresee?

The nature of the entertainment industry has changed from small-scale to massive large-scale. Once upon a time we thought radio was redundant, but look at how it has bounced back with so many FM channels being aired. Globally too, theatre is growing and trying to acquire a market space. Regional and language theatre are changing -be it Hindi, English, Bengali or Assamese theatre - as they face a tough fight from cinema and television. Our focus should be on making our students capable enough to accept the challenge that has emerged in the form of this change.

Former director Anuradha Kapur had been criticised for not getting enough theatre from the grassroots, especially for the annual Bharat Rang Mahotsav. Is that going to change?

Any project that you launch takes its own time to develop and take shape. This year 3,500 theatre groups from across the country - some from the remotest of areas - have applied. The screening committee will take a call. But yes, one of the challenges is to connect NSD with "India". It is the duty of the institute to ensure that its activities reach even theatre artistes in small villages. A person doing honest theatre anywhere in the country should feel connected to NSD. He should feel that there is an organisation in Delhi that will give me a platform for my style of theatre. But sometimes people only notice the bigger events and not the activities that are happening all the year round. For instance, we have started a workshop in Leh. We will be starting a project on tribal culture soon. But these activities will be prioritised in a way that the core activity of the institution, which is training, is not disturbed in any way.

This is the 50th year of NSD's repertory company. What is the roadmap for the repertory?

The quality, variation and aesthetic value disseminated by the repertory company in the past 50 years have made NSD what it is today. But we can't just rest on past laurels. That can happen only when the repertory is connected to advanced technology, modern-life issues, while also focusing on rural issues and lifestyles. The repertory has given us such a huge bunch of talent - some who have gone into films, television and some who are practicing their own brand of theatre. They should come back and share their experiences with the students. We are planning a huge gathering, not just to relive the nostalgia but also to have eminent alumnus like Surekha Sikri, Pankaj Kapur, Raghubir Yadav, Govind Namdeo and others to act in some key productions. We are also thinking of coming up with a publication or a photo exhibition about the contribution of the repertory and a discussion on its responsibilities.

You have created landmark plays like Mohandas, Janeman and Madhyam Vyayog. Will creative expression take a backseat to administrative duties?

The volume of work at NSD has increased 50 times over since when I was a student. A director has to look at all aspects of functioning. But I haven't come here to become an administrator. It's just one aspect of my life, but I would like to keep my creative expression going. Otherwise my coming here won't help the institution. I have always been a teacher, I enjoy it immensely. Whatever I have learnt, I want to share with the students here.