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e-STQ / 043 / 29.3.06 We regret to announce that unfortunately we are unable to continue with e-stq due to a lack of funds. This is therefore the last issue. We thank you for your support and hope that it will be possible to resume this initiative in the future. Contemporary Marathi Theatre in the Golbal World While sharing my observations on the contemporary Marathi theatre of last 15 years, I would like to begin with the world where I live, write and perform. The Indian economy has been changing its course since fifteen years. The IT ebb that followed swept the big cities like Pune, Mumbai and Bangalore and transformed them into hi-tech global spaces. The neighbouring smaller cities located at one night journey from hi-tech cities were not exceptions to the IT epidemic. The government tried to computerize these cities too. The IT parks were soon established at many places to create new possibilities of employment and promises were given to rank them among the cities of the global world. Eventually, these cities saw the same IT parks being deserted within a few years. However, the people in such towns were attracted towards the global cities like Pune and the attraction continues till date. As a result, we can find the advertisements and big hoardings of real estate agents from global IT cities like Pune being displayed in the city- squares. The milieu in these cities is still not global; yet, the people here nourish an ardent desire to go global. Let’s call these cities, golbal cities. Comparatively, the golbal cities have not witnessed the rise of new companies or industries; but they have seen many educational institutes established rapidly. They are based on global models and provide training essential for new professions and industries. Today, the newly trained ‘generation-next’ of the golbal world with sophisticated skills is migrating to the global cities for financial opportunities. The increased population in the golbal cities is mainly due to the immigrants from nearby villages or from the older parts of the same cities. The golbal cities are not mobile like those in the global world. Yet the number of mobile users has immensely increased in the hope of being global. These cities are growing slowly and everything is within reach even then the golbal generation likes to engage itself in the game of exchanging SMS and giving missed calls on mobiles. At the same time, the golbal world hasn’t completely lost its contact with agriculture. The landowners possess farmlands but are least attached to it. They are reluctant to sell the land though it produces nothing. It is because of the rumours that the land would get considerable value once new industry would be established in nearby industrial zone of MIDC. They feel that the same land would help them in future to meet the expenses of sending their children for higher education to the cities like Pune. Surprisingly, the golbal world has not totally turned its back to their traditions and customs related to agriculture. The heterogeneity of the golbal world has given rise to a new class that moves within different spaces at the same time. For example, in this world, one can enjoy the remix songs of TV artist Abhijit Sawant or Bela Shende simultaneously with folk songs of devdasi jogta like Tanaji Patil and other bhajan groups. Obviously, these are two different groups, yet, both have mobiles, have fascination for computers and both wear trendy clothes; but with different brands. In several parts of golbal world, 30% or more people don’t enjoy the facility of private toilets. They use public toilets; as they can not afford building one for themselves or don’t want to spend ‘unnecessarily’ in building toilets for their families. However, the same people can enjoy picture messages on cell phone or forward the Bush- jokes. Such dichotomy and flexibility to move within is a peculiar feature of the golbal world. Please click on reply to comment ‘The Homecoming’ of Calcutta's English theatre Comments - Naseeruddin Shah and Keval Arora STQ back issues - download complete list of content Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the articles are the authors' own and in no way essentially reflect the views of the organization. |
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