Rubaroo with Belief

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” These words from Paulo Coelho sound very philosophical and impractical unless one experiences the power of belief. This is a narrative of one such encounter that I had with belief.

It was 14^th of October, 2017, a Saturday preceded by the auspicious Friday the 13^th. I was leaving from my residence at around 3PM in the afternoon to the venue where we were to perform William Shakespeare’s Macbeth in the evening. Everything was set, rehearsals were done, the backdrop and set were ready at the venue. There was just one mighty challenge before us – the rains. The venue was an open ground, so needless to say that we can’t perform if it rains. The entire ensemble of around 40 people which included over 25 actors and the crew could see all the efforts put up by them in the last 2 months towards this show (literally) going down the drain. The Hindi proverb ‘Mehnat pe paani fir jaana’ was quite literally flaunting off itself to us.

While the others were worried and even sad about the fact that rain wasn’t stopping, I was calm, indifferent and to an extent pessimistic towards this. All these can be owed to the earlier such instances where rains interrupted or even resisted our performances. And surprisingly all these rains were untimely. The first instance was on October 31^st, 2015 when we were to perform Gagan Damama Bajyo – a play based on the life of Bhagat Singh. The show was to start at 7PM, and we were visited by the rains at 6PM. The entire set-up had to be dismantled. Thankfully the rains stopped at 6-45PM and we could start the show with a 15 minutes of delay. The next instance came on May 9^th, 2016 during the performance of a comedy named Art. Who would have thought that on a midsummer evening, heavens would pour down so furiously? We had to move the performance to an indoor auditorium at the same venue with half the capacity. A sold-out show was performed in front of half the audience. The fact that the remaining half couldn’t turn up at the venue due to the rains helped us in managing the show. The worst instance was during September 24^th and 25^th, 2016 when we had to call off the shows for George Orwell’s 1984 on both days due to heavy rains. Eventually the shows were postponed to and performed on the next available dates which was as late as 14^th and 15^th January, 2017. However, it was absolutely disheartening given that we had put in so much of time and effort in the rehearsals.

A heartbreak makes you stronger and prepares you well for the ones to follow. So my pessimism was due to my proactive preparedness for another heartbreak. There were heavy rains on each day since the last 20 days. The precipitation on the D-day was forecasted to be 90% at 7PM which meant we had 90% chances of rains at the time when the show starts. Besides, there is a notion that Macbeth is a cursed play and it should be referred to as The Scottish Play during rehearsals, which of course we did not do. All these were pointing towards one thing – no show happening tonight. There were multiple discussions that happened in the last few days before the show on whether we should postpone the show or whether we should look for a closed auditorium and shift the venue. But the set up was so huge that a closed auditorium would mean compromise on the grandeur of the production. Finally the decision was made to go as per the plan and put up the show on 14^th. The decision seemed to be a failed one as it was drizzling non-stop since 13^th evening.

The crew reached the venue at 11AM in the morning of 14^th and started putting up the backdrop and the set amidst the drizzle. The cast arrived at 3-30PM and make-up started. All faces tensed, sad and disheartened, as if all were waiting for the director to come and announce that the show is called off. The announcement came at 5-30PM, but it was about assembling of the cast on the stage. The director orchestrated the traditional warm-ups on the stage that was a routine before starting the rehearsals. The drizzle was still on. The entourage was still unsure about the show. And suddenly at around 6PM, the drizzle stopped. The skies had a dense cover of clouds who looked ready to pour their hearts out at any moment. I was still negative about the performance. The show was sold out and we were expecting over 400 people to turn up. If it rains during the show, all of them would run for shelter which would be too embarrassing for the production house. It was a big risk already taken.

The stage was set, audience seated, actors on position, backstage crew in action and the show started. The first act of the total 5 came to an end and I looked at the skies. The clouds were still hovering, but no rains. As a contrast, there was frequent lighting striking in the background which could be seen behind the backdrop by the audience. It sweetly blended with the intensity of the play. The show ended, audience applauded and we cheered thus defying all the notions and the odds. The next it rained was at 1-30AM post that midnight when we were busy partying at a drive-in. This was the first evening in the last 20 days or so when it did not rain at all. The skies held on to it exactly this evening. It was difficult for me to digest, decode or comprehend this strange coincidence. The entire gang except me was praying, hoping, believing that the show will happen, and it did. Although my pessimism was prudent, it was of no use to make things work. What made it work was the belief of these people who really wanted it to happen.

Master Oogway from Kung Fu Panda tells us that we must ‘believe’. We understand it theoretically very well that we must have faith and things will fall in place. But what we need is illustrations or first-hand experience like this as an eye-opener, as a driving factor to make us believe, to make us have faith. While I still refuse to believe in God and do not interpret this as some divine intervention, it has surely changed my perspective towards goodness, faith and belief.

 

 

 

Sugarfree Sweets, Smokefree Diwali

We are nearing doom. The water levels have risen. The ice caps are melting. The storms and hurricanes are frequenting. Average temperature of our planet has gone up. These facts are not being stated here newly. We all have heard or read about these from various sources. While some people challenge the factual nature of these statements just to favor capitalists, the universal truth is that Global Warming is real and apocalypse is approaching us faster that we expect.

The news-feed on all of social media since this morning is full of articles, opinions, debates on the honorable Supreme Court of India banning the sale of crackers in Delhi and nearby regions. As if Delhi did not have its own social and political problems, it is on the verge of becoming un-livable owing to the environmental problems. And the SC has taken a call to cater to this. However, the picture being painted with strong political motive is of selective censorship of festivals. Comparisons to Jallikattu and Bakr Eid are being made. The typical "What about them/that?" rhetoric is being played. On the other hand, chain smokers are coming out in support of this move. Wise for them, they cannot afford to do any more damage than they are already doing to the ecosystem. People needing Air Conditioners and Refrigerators 24X7 are exposing their own hypocrisy by preaching righteousness to the world.

The State Government will claim Mr. Prime Minister is behind this move, like they say for every other issue with the laughable claim that the Center does not let them work. The ruling party will call this anti-national, anti-Hindutva and ask the "what about" questions. The opposition will call it religious appeasement by both State and Centre to gain votes, in spite of the fact that they already have got votes and you have got none. Although the thought process behind the decision has remotely nothing to do with religion, all these cartels will make it so to gain a political mileage. And that is how it has been. They have been hiding behind religion to satisfy all their greed. The hurtful part is that majority of us are not even aware of being used as pawns in their battles. The blind loyalty and affiliation that we have is once again leading us to fall from a cliff.

In my opinion, religions have done more bad than good to this world. And a part of the good that religions have done is the festivals which give people reasons to come together and celebrate. But like any other existing thing, a religion too has to evolve with time to exist. And although at a different pace than other, each religion has evolved with time. The fading away of regressive Sati practice, ouster of un-touchability in most parts if not all, education for girls, acceptance towards LGBT community (socially though not legally 'yet') and many other changes are examples of this evolution. Optimizing our festivals is another step towards this evolution, and it is necessary for us to survive now more than any time in history.

Banning of crackers will not drastically reduce pollution in Delhi. But at least it will not worsen what is already terrible there. And besides, is Diwali only about bursting crackers? Does a smoke-free Diwali dampen the warm feeling of people going back home to be with families? Does it reduce the sweetness of a Kaju Katli or a Bundi ka Laddoo? All it does is take care of the environment and our collective health. We prefer sugar-free sweets for our well-being and survival. By the same logic, smoke-free Diwali will multiply the well-being of our surroundings to many-fold.

Leo utilized most part of the 2 minutes of his first ever Oscar speech to give an important message on environment. To quote him - "Let us not take this planet for granted. I do not take tonight for granted." We still cannot avoid the inevitable, we have come too far to go back and correct things for the plant to survive long now. But as Syrio Forel tells Arya Stark - "What do we say to the God of Death? Not today", we need to prolong the doom as much as possible. With that cliched reference from Game of Thrones (which is a must in my blogs just for the love of it), wishing you a safe, happy and smoke-free Diwali.