Meet 'behrupiyas' at Kalagram

CHANDIGARH: Don't be surprised if you bump into this family consisting of Emperor Akbar, Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu at the ongoing crafts mela in Kalagram. The family of artists is here to promote the lost folk art of "Behrupiya"- an art form which was once a mode of entertainment for royals but is now limited to beggars.
Subrati Bahrupiya, 55 and his two sons, Fareed Khan and Akram Khan, were at Kalagram on the opening day of the craft mela, dressed as behrupiyas.While Subrati dressed as Akbar, Fareed dressed as Lord Shiva and Akram dressed as Lord Vishnu.
This family has been practicing the art for 150 years. "My grandfather, his grandfather and his grandfather, all have been into this form of art. They have also had the privilege of performing in front of kings like Raja Man Singh of Jaipur and Rana Sangha of Mewad, among others," said Subrati.
Subrati, who has also performed in Paris and Hong Kong, said, "It is an art to entertain with alertness and wit. Like they say in Hindi, you have to be 'hazir jawab' and well-versed with languages. It takes us two hours to get ready to impersonate someone. The make up alone takes more than an hour."
Even though the family is striving to promote the art, they are surviving on peanuts. "Earlier, our forefathers got enough from kings and did not have to depend on anyone. But times have changed and we have started going to different states in search of money. We stayed at a place for 10 days, entertained people and went around asking for money in an artistic way to keep the art alive. But now, the art is almost extinct. Only a few take it up and that too to use it for begging. It is shameful that people do not respect their folk art," he said.
However, it was logistics that persuaded Subrati to initiate his sons into the art form. "They had interest but I was concerned about finances. If I hire someone, I will have to pay Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 and I have a family of 18 members to take care of," he said. He has four sons and two daughters. Three of his sons are married.
For this family, Baisakhi is peak season. "During Baisakh, we perform in our village. In return, people give us grains, which lasts 12 months. There is hardly any money in this folk art form, which is why it is becoming extinct. Even the government doesn't pay much but they provide us with platforms to showcase our art. We use it to get more work in parties and marriages," he said.
They will be present at the mela for four to five days, after which other artists from their team will replace them.