I t is the Eighth Century. The Palas rule East and much of northern India. Buddhism is at its peak and there are mass conversions.
Set against this backdrop is Abhishek Majumdar’s latest play, Muktidham . The story is set in a small temple town surrounded by Buddhists. The head of the matt, Nath Nand is about to retire to the muktidham to achieve salvation.
Nand who separates religion from politics has to make a choice between Agnivesha, and the protagonist, and Yuyutsu, to succeed him. Agnivesha is a scholar who believes in armed resistance against the Buddhists while Yuyutsu believes in opening the temple to lower castes.
Written and directed by Abhishek, Muktidham received a grant from India Foundation for the Arts under the Arts Practice Programme. “I was intrigued by the rise of the Right Wing. I wanted to understand it from within rather than outside. What is the real history? What are the various religious positions?” It was the Jawaharlal Nehru University incident last year that impacted Abhishek. “My parents worked there. I grew up there. There was an article in The Hindu on the professors of JNU who were branded anti-nationals. They are leading professors who could have worked anywhere, but chose to work in India.” Social media was then filled with arguments for and against the JNU incident.
“Instead of arguing with people, I decided to show it through a play because the subject is much more nuanced.”
Abhishek observes that the Right Wing movement started out as an intellectual one.
“I wondered how it became anti-intellectual. The first question was to understand religion. There was also a lot of infighting among the matts. This was also the time of the rise of Nalanda University and Pataliputra.”
The play required intensive research. “It was divided between co-researcher Vandana Menon and me. She focused on online research.”
What is interesting about the playwriting process is a human being’s tendency to contradict themselves.
“We are unable to accept that contradiction within ourselves and in society. Muktidham is about the arguments around the individual and religion with society and with the cosmic or God. That story is really what I am interested in.”
Nath Nand’s belief of separating religion from politics is central to Mutkidham .
“There is no such thing as an apolitical religion. Yes, religion has provided solace and a sense of certainty. But it is political. I want to bring that to the fore.”
Since religion is a touchy subject, does Abhishek expect a backlash?
“I absolutely welcome anyone to object to the play. There is a lot of scholarship on this subject. The Seventh and Eighth centuries plays on the Ramayana were far more radical.”
Muktidham, an Indian Ensemble production, presented by India Foundation for the Arts will be staged on January 27 at 7.30 p.m., on January 28 at 3.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. and on January 29 at 3.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. at Ranga Shankara.
Tickets are available on www.bookmyshow.com and at the venue.
It will also be staged early February at Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai.
