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Garhwali Dramatists/Playwrights -1
Mitra Nand Kukreti: A Great Garhwali Dramatist and Drama Director



                                  By: Bhishma Kukreti
                          Mitra Nand Kukreti is one of the Asian Greatest Drama /theatre/stage play Directors who promoted regional language dramas and theatres. In Asia, especially in India, due to various hurdles and problems, the development of local language theatre/stage plays/ dramas is the most difficult task. Garhwali language dramatization of stage plays has various inborn problems. The main problems in staging Garhwali dramas are scattered population, children's education is either in Hindi or in English medium and not in Garhwali, continuous decline in Garhwali language speakers, individual financial losses in being Garhwali drama/theatre activist, due to scattered population less audience is available at one place and less recognition or least recognition to Garhwali drama/theatre activists. In such difficult situations, Mitra Nand Kukreti involved himself in promoting Garhwali theatre/dramas leaving English and Hindi languages theatres where more recognition was available and no financial losses were there. It was the love for language theatre/dramas that attracted Mitra Nand to become a Garhwali theatre/drama activist. 
                               Mitra Nand Kukreti belongs to the village of Gheedi, Maniyarsyun, Pauri Garhwal. Kukretis of Gheedi were migrated from Dyusi, Maniyarsyun to Gheedi.  Kukretis of Dyusi came from Barsudi, Langur and Kukretis of Barsudi were migrated from Jaspur village, Malla Dhangu. Jaspur is the original village where the first time, Kukretis settled in Garhwal migrating from the Southern part or western south  India in the thirteen/fourteen century.
   Mitra Nand Kukreti was born in November, 1944. He was educated in Lansdowne and Delhi. Mitra Nand Kukreti was in the translation department in parliament.
          Mitra Nand Kukreti was involved in theatre/drama activities from his student life. Mitra Nand Kukreti started his theatre activities by acting in English and Hindi dramas.  For many years, Mitra Nand Kukreti used to write a column dedicated to theatres and dramas of Delhi for a daily newspaper.
  In 1944, Jagar a Garhwali theatre/drama promoting organization Delhi invited Mitra Nand Kukreti to direct the ‘Ardhgrameshwar’ stage play.  Mitra Nand Kukreti‘s direction of ‘Ardhgrameshwar’ stage play written by playwright Rajendra Dhashmana was appreciated by Garhwali audience in various cities, theatre activists/dramatists, and famous critics of Hindi and English theatres/dramas.
  The entry of Mitra Nand Kukreti in the Garhwali theatre/drama world brought new waves to Garhwali theatre/dramas. Mitra Nand Kukreti is called the father of new thinking in Garhwali theatre/dramas.
     Mitra Nand Kukreti trained Garhwali theatre/drama activists for new approaches to bringing contemporariness or modernism in Garhwali theatre/dramas in various workshops organized by Jagar.
              Mitra Nand Kukreti directed ‘Kanshnukram’ written by Kanhaiya Lal Dandriyal and modified by Rajendra Dhashmana staged in 1989 in Delhi, Mitra Nand Kukreti directed the famous drama ‘’Bhakt Prahlad’ written by Bhavani Datt Thapliyal in 1989, in Delhi. Bhavani Datt Thapliyal wrote the first modern Garhwali drama ’Bhakt Prahlad’ in 1913. 
                   Mitra Nand Kukreti directed a Garhwali drama ‘Swayambar’ written by Kanhaiya Lal Dandriyal in 1984 in Dehradun.
  Mitra Nand Kukreti directed a Garhwali drama ‘Audal’ in 1989.
          Besides his directing Garhwali theatre/dramas/stage plays, Mitra Nand Kukreti contributed to Garhwali theatre/dramas by culturing new generation theatre/drama activists.
  These days, Mitra Nand Kukreti is busy translating classic Sanskrit Bhakti Shloka books into English.
           Asian theatre drama world will always remember the remarkable works of Mitra Nand Kukreti for promoting less spoken language theatres/dramas/stage plays, training the theatre/drama activists, guiding the young generation on finer points of theatre/dramas, culturing new generation in Garhwali theatre/dramas and bringing contemporariness in Garhwali theatre/dramas.   

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti, 23/5/2012
Notes on Famous Directors, Theatre/Drama Activists and Dramatists; Asian Famous Directors, Theatre/ Drama Activists, and Dramatists; South Asian Famous Directors, Theatre/ Drama Activists and Dramatists; SAARC Countries Famous Directors, Theatre/ Drama Activists and Dramatists; Indian Subcontinents Famous Directors, Theatre/ Drama Activists and Dramatists; Indian Famous Directors, Theatre/ Drama Activists and Dramatists; North Indian Famous Directors, Theatre/ Drama Activists and Dramatists; Himalayan Famous Directors, Theatre/ Drama Activists and Dramatists; Mid Himalayan Famous Directors, Theatre/ Drama Activists and Dramatists; Uttarakhandi Famous Directors, Theatre/ Drama Activists and Dramatists; Kumauni Famous Directors, Theatre/ Drama Activists and Dramatists; Garhwali Famous Directors, Theatre/ Drama Activists, and Dramatists to be continued

Gangavataran: Use of Garhwali Drama for Public Awareness about Cleaning Ganga


                                            Bhishma Kukreti
                    Ganga is the most Reverend River in the world. There is a mythological story behind the birth of the Ganga and most of Indians believe in the mythological characters of king Sagar, king Bhagirath, etc. There have been dramas played on the subject of Gangavataran or the birth of Ganga.  For example, a dance-lyrical drama by Narendra Kukamar was staged in 2009 in Sonepur Mela/fair of North Bihar. Malavika Sarrukai is a famous classical dancer who dances on the theme of Ganga in foreign countries such as Singapore (Ganga Nritya Vahini).
             However, today, there is a serious problem of Ganga pollution by human waste, industrial waste, religious events, dramas, etc. The literature creative especially is not behind creating drams about public awareness for the clean status of Ganga.  For example, Jagrit, I Bengaluru presented a drama ‘The Invisible River’ directed by   Ruchika Chanana (2007) as the Theatrescince concept. In this drama, the dramatists present many facets related to Ganga and all facets –religion, politics, saints, Ganga pollution, and Ganga cleaning acts are interrelated.
   Manu Dhoundiyal and Harish Badola wrote a Garhwali lyrical dance-drama ‘Gangvataran’.   The drama takes the audience to the birth of Ganga and then Ganga herself asks the people about her problems with pollution. In this lyrical drama, Ganga is shown as a human being character who is asking questions to human beings for taking responsibility to keep rivers pollution-free.    A social organization in Lucknow staged the Garhwali lyrical dance-drama ‘Gangavataran’ twice in 2007 and 2008. 
  The   Garhwali lyrical dance-drama ‘Gangavataran’ is a good example of making mythological story plays as a vehicle of public awareness for cleaning the Ganga River.                                     
References:

1-Dr Anil Dabral,Garhwali Gady Parampara (Garhwali Dramas from beginning till 1990)
2-Abodh BandhuBahuguna, Gad Myateki Ganga (Garhwali dramas from beginning till 1975)
3-Dr Sudharani,Garhwal ka  Rangmanch (Garhwali Dramasfrom beginning till 1985)
4-Drama special issue of Chitthi Patri magazine (Garhwali Dramas and plays staged in Delhi, Karachi,Mumbai, Dehradun and other places)
5- Dr Hari Datt BhattShailesh, Garhwali Natak evam Rangmanch: Ek Vihngam Avlokan (Garhwali Drams andtheatres from beginning till 1985)
6-Dr Bhakt Darshan: BarristerMukandi Lal Srmriti Granth (Garhwali dramatists or theatres playwrights till1985
7-Dr Nand KishorDhoundiyal, Garhwal ki Divangat Vibhutiyan (pp108-116, about contribution ofBhagwati Prasad Panthri for developing Garhwali drama)
8- Manuscripts ofvarious dramas (curtsey by Parashar Gaur)
9- Personal talks with playwrights/dramatists
10- Notes by D.D. Sundariyal from Chandigarh
11- Various inputs byDr. D. R. Purohit from Shrinagar, Garhwal 
12- Bhishma Kukreti, LokNatya Visheshank of Chitthi Patri, Dehradun

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti, 25/5/2012
Notes on Dramas for Public Awareness about Cleaning Ganges; Asian  Dramas for Public Awareness about Cleaning Ganges; South Asian Dramas for Public Awareness about Cleaning Ganges; SAARC Countries Dramas for Public Awareness about Cleaning Ganges; Indian subcontinent Dramas for Public Awareness about Cleaning Ganges; Indian Dramas for Public Awareness about Cleaning Ganges; North Indian Dramas for Public Awareness about Cleaning Ganges; Dramas for Public Awareness about Cleaning Ganges at Bank of  Ganga ; Dramas for Public Awareness about Cleaning Ganges in Sonepur mela; Himalayan Dramas for Public Awareness about Cleaning Ganges; Dramas for Public Awareness about Cleaning Ganges; Mid Himalayan Dramas for Public Awareness about Cleaning Ganges; Uttarakhandi Dramas for Public Awareness about Cleaning Ganges; Kumauni Dramas for Public Awareness about Cleaning Ganges; Garhwali language Dramas for Public Awareness about Cleaning Ganges  to be continued..

Peashvar kand ka Veer Senani Chandra Singh Garhwali: A Didactic Historical, Garhwali Drama

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                                                Bhishma Kukreti

                Dr. Nand Kishor Dhoundiyal blames the Garhwali literature critics that they never provided due honor to the works of late Braj Mohan Kabtiyal for his contribution to writing, promoting, and staging Garhwali theatres/dramas. Dr. Dhoundiyal is right because most of the critics were busy promoting the literature creative of Delhi but could not get details about works of Garhwali literature creative working for Garhwali language development in small towns and villages of Garhwal. For example, Braj Mohan Kabtiyal not only wrote Garhwali dramas but he encouraged, and trained students and other artists for playing stage play for developing Garhwali theatre in Garhwal. Kabtiyal staged many didactic and historical plays in Kotdwara.
              He wrote Kishkindha Kand, Gangu Ramola, Jeetu Bagdwal, Peashvar kand ka Veer Senani Chandra Singh Garhwali, Beer Bala Teelu  Rauteli, Ode ka Jhagda and Anpadh Garhwali plays. Baring two Garhwali plays Ode ka Jhagda and Anpadh Garhwal, other five didactic  Garhwali plays are staged and published. Very few Garhwali creative are aware that Braj Mohan Kabtiyal was Samdhi of late Kanhaiya Lal Dandriyal.
               ‘Peashvar kand ka Veer Senani Chandra Singh Garhwali ‘a Garhwali didactic and historical drama is about the actions of a British army Subedar Chandra Singh Garhwali for disobeying the order of his British army officer for firing on an innocent freedom fighter in Peshawar. The British army did court marshal Chandra Singh Garhwali and put him in jail. After freeing from Jail, Chandra Singh Garhwali joined the freedom movement of India.
  The drama dialogues bring energy to youth and all age audiences for dedicating their lives to the nation and social cause. The didactic and historical Garhwali drama ‘Peashvar kand ka Veer Senani Chandra Singh Garhwali ‘ could extract the finer points of the life of Chandra Singh Garhwali too. Dr. Dhoundiyal applauds the didactic and historical drama as a very fine instrument for inspiring people.
             Truly, world drama critics, world theatre critics or world stage plays critics will remember Braj Mohan Kabtiyal always for his endurance in promoting local language dramas such as Garhwali drama or theatres in a small town as Kotdwara, Pauri Garhwal.
References:

1-Dr Anil Dabral, Garhwali Gady Parampara (Garhwali Dramas from beginning till 1990)
2-Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna, Gad Myateki Ganga (Garhwali dramas from beginning till 1975)
3-Dr Sudharani, Garhwal ka  Rangmanch (Garhwali Dramasfrom beginning till 1985)
4-Drama special issue of Chitthi Patri magazine (Garhwali Dramas and plays staged in Delhi, Karachi,Mumbai, Dehradun and other places)
5- Dr Hari Datt BhattShailesh, Garhwali Natak evam Rangmanch: Ek Vihngam Avlokan (Garhwali Drams andtheatres from beginning till 1985)
6-Dr Bhakt Darshan: BarristerMukandi Lal Srmriti Granth (Garhwali dramatists or theatre playwright till 1985
7-Dr Nand Kishor Dhoundiyal, Garhwal ki Divangat Vibhutiyan (pp108-116, about contribution of Bhagwati Prasad Panthri for developing Garhwali drama) and Garhwal ki Divangat Vibhutiyan part 6,  page 117-125
8- Manuscripts of various dramas (curtsey by Parashar Gaur)
9- Personal talks with playwrights/dramatists
10- Notes by D.D. Sundariyal from Chandigarh
11- Various inputs by Dr. D. R. Purohit from Shrinagar, Garhwal 
12- Bhishma Kukreti, LokNatya Visheshank of Chitthi Patri, Dehradun

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti, 27/5/2012
List of few notable didactic and historical dramas-
1-The dramas of Shakespeare are full of historical and didactic notes
2- Ibsen and Strindberg contributed for developing historical Scandinavian theatre. The both preferred realistic dramas than didactic or moral teaching dramas
3-Soviet dramatists were concerned about didactic use of Russian history in the theatres.
4- Wanger (1990) provides details of Chinese moral teaching, didactic and historical dramas in his book ‘The Contemporary Chinese Historical drama...’
5-Cavanaugh (2003) details about moral teaching, historical and didactic dramas in the book ‘Language and politics in sixteenth century plays’.
6- Potter (1975) discusses in details about English morality, didactic and historical English plays/dramas in the book ‘The English Morality Plays’.
7- Hermans (2009) provides many examples of didactic elements, morality and history in the dramas in the book ‘A literary History of low Countries’.
8-Griffin (2001) provides lists of historical, didactic and moral based dramas in the book ‘Playing the past: Approaches to English Historical Drama’.
9-Lombard (1996) and Shirane (2008) offer many examples of Japanese didactic, historical, moral base dramas.
10-Yu, Kim et all (2004) provide the aspects of didactic, history and morality in Korean dramas in ‘Korean dramas under Japanese occupation’.
11-Hussain, Jaaffar, and Ahmad (1992) give details of didacticism, history and morality in Malay Language dramas in ‘History of Modern Malay Literature’.
11- Conteh- Morgan,Olaniyan (2004) provides details of aspects of didacticism, history and morality in African drama in the book ‘African drama and performance’.

Notes on Didactic Historical Dramas, Didactic Historical Theatres, Didactic Historical Plays; Asian Didactic Historical Dramas, Didactic Historical Theatres, Didactic Historical Plays; South Asian Didactic Historical Dramas, Didactic Historical Theatres, Didactic Historical Plays; SAARC Countries Didactic Historical Dramas, Didactic Historical Theatres, Didactic Historical Plays; Indian subcontinent Didactic Historical Dramas, Didactic Historical Theatres, Didactic Historical Plays; Indian Didactic Historical Dramas, Didactic Historical Theatres, Didactic Historical Plays; North Indian Didactic Historical Dramas, Didactic Historical Theatres, Didactic Historical Plays; Himalayan  Didactic Historical Dramas, Didactic Historical Theatres, Didactic Historical Plays; Mid Himalayan Didactic Historical Dramas, Didactic Historical Theatres, Didactic Historical Plays; Uttarakhandi   Didactic Historical Dramas, Didactic Historical Theatres, Didactic Historical Plays; Kumauni Didactic Historical Dramas, Didactic Historical Theatres, Didactic Historical Plays; Garhwali Didactic Historical Dramas, Didactic Historical Theatres, Didactic Historical Plays to be continued….

Surma:  A Garhwali Drama Depicting the Sufferings of Rural Women 

 

                                                    Bhishma Kukreti
                 Surendra Balodi the famous drama activist of Uttarkashi, Garhwal, India has practical experiences of women of rural Garhwal facing many problems, crisis by geographical means and harassments due to new changes in the society or changes in social norms.
            Surendra Balodi wrote a drama ‘Surma’ and staged this drama first time in Uttarkashi in 1994. Surendra Balodi directed his own written drama ‘Surma’. Till date, the women suffering oriented drama ‘Surma’ is stage more than ten times.
               Surendra shows the tragedy of young men migrating to plains and women are left for suffering in village in this women oriented drama ‘Surma’.  The women are main losers because of the youth and old generation males wasting time either in alcohol consumptions. Though the society is changed but the oppression of mother in law does not change and sufferer is woman. The government has been bringing many unheard changes in forest laws from the time of Teihri King. Whenever new law about forest policies is enforced the rural women are main suffers.
                          Surendra successfully wove the stories of sufferings of women in rural Garhwal in the Garhwali drama ‘Surma’. The subject of women’s suffering oriented drama ‘Surma’ is already experienced by the audience. Therefore, the women anguishes oriented drama ‘Surma’ attracts the attention of audience very well. 
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti 29/5/2012

Notes on Dramas Depicting the Sufferings of Rural Women; Asian Dramas Depicting the Sufferings of Rural Women; South Asian Dramas Depicting the Sufferings of Rural Women; SAARC Countries Dramas Depicting the Sufferings of Rural Women; Indian Continent Dramas Depicting the Sufferings of Rural Women; Indian  Dramas Depicting the Sufferings of Rural Women;  North Indian  Dramas Depicting the Sufferings of Rural Women;  Himalayan Dramas Depicting the Sufferings of Rural Women; Mid Himalayan  Dramas Depicting the Sufferings of Rural Women; Uttarakhandi Dramas Depicting the Sufferings of Rural Women;  Kumauni  Dramas Depicting the Sufferings of Rural Women;  Garhwali  Dramas Depicting the Sufferings of Rural Women to be continued…

Abhigyan Shakuntalam: A Garhwali Drama based on Sanskrit Classic Abhigyan Shakuntalam



       

                                          Bhishma Kukreti

         A dramatization based on classics has been an old tradition in drama world literature and still, modern playwrights write drams based on classics. For example, in recent times, Paul Olson wrote three plays based on classic fiction as Dracula by Bram Stoker; A Christmas Carol of Charles Dickens; Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. There are films based on classics such as ‘The Phantom of Opera’, ‘Casanova’, ‘Wuthering Heights’ etc.
   In Modern Garhwali literature, there is a translation of Classic Poetries and stories but there was a gap in translating Sanskrit Classic dramas/plays.  Dr. Pushkar Naithani (born in 1953) filled the gap in translating Sanskrit drama into Garhwali.  Dr. Pushkar Naithani translated the fourth Sarg of Abhigyan Shakuntalam a Classic Sanskrit Drama written by Kalidas in the initial years of the Christ centuries. Dr. Naithani wrote the drama and staged it in 1977-78
  Dr. Naithani brilliantly translated Sanskrit prose and poems into Garhwali's version of poems and prose too. The translation is a marvelous example of translation.

Here is an example of a prose portion translated by Dr, Pushkar Naithani  –-

 विष कम्भक
(इनो दृश्य जां से भविष्य कि सूचना दियेन्द)
तब क्व्व्कू एक च्याला सेक उठिका आंदा)
शिष्य- परदेश बिटेन लौट्याँ  पूज्य क्व्व न बगत (टैम) दिखणो मी थै भेजूं च . ये वास्ता भैर जैकी दिक्ख्दु कि अब राति कथगा बाकी च
  Here is example of translation poetic form of Abhigyan Shakuntalam Drama written by Kalidas
सातवाँ

नियत हुईं च जगह वेदी की
लखड़ा धरया छें वेदी सजीं च
कंसलू बिछ्युं च चारो ओर
पवित्र कारा या अग्नि त्वे थै
     The drama world will always remember the works of Dr. Pushkar Naithani for his initiation of translating Sanskrit classic drama into Garhwali for the first time in history. Dr. Naithani successfully carried out the responsibility of a translator for poems and prose portions of the original Sanskrit drama.

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti, 31/5/2012
Notes on Modern Dramas/Plays based on Classic Literature; Modern Asian Dramas/Plays based on Classic Literature; Modern South Asian Dramas/Plays based on Classic Literature; Modern SAARC Countries Dramas/Plays based on Classic Literature; Modern Indian sub continent Dramas/Plays based on Classic Literature; Modern Indian Dramas/Plays based on Classic Literature; Modern North Indian Dramas/Plays based on Classic Literature; Modern Himalayan Dramas/Plays based on Classic Literature; Modern Mid Himalayan Dramas/Plays based on Classic Literature; Modern Uttarakhandi Dramas/Plays based on Classic Literature; Modern Kumauni Dramas/Plays based on Classic Literature; Modern Garhwali Dramas/Plays based on Classic Literature to be continued….
संस्कृत नाटकों से अनुवादित नाटक ; संस्कृत नाटकों से एशियाई अनुवादित नाटक ;संस्कृत नाटकों के अनुवादित दक्षिण एशियाई नाटक ;संस्कृत नाटकों के अनुवादित भारतीय नाटक ;संस्कृत नाटकों के अनुवादित उत्तर भारतीय नाटक ;संस्कृत नाटकों के अनुवादित हिमालयी नाटक ;संस्कृत नाटकों के अनुवादित मध्य हिमालयी नाटक ;संस्कृत नाटकों के अनुवादित उत्तराखंडी नाटक ;संस्कृत नाटकों के अनुवादित कुमाउनी नाटक ;संस्कृत नाटकों के अनुवादित गढवाली नाटक लेखमाला जारी ....