Think about Broadway for a minute. The proverbial melting pot as a subject of discussion on ‘the lavish experience’ may be overused and misleading, but when one has to compare the Indian theatre scenario with that of Las Vegas or Broadway, the razzmatazz is somewhere missing. Considering India’s population, Indian theatre, though a mass-entertainment, still caters to a small number.

Theatre exists largely as an ancient aesthetic practice in India. Our ‘contemporary theatre’ started around 1942 with Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) in the backdrop of World War II, the Bengal famine of 1943 and colonial repression. India has come a long way since then, but theatre still remains a relatively small form of entertainment. How many of us actually choose theatre as a mode of pure commercial entertainment over watching a masala Bollywood flick or lounging in a swish urban drinking joint?

The answer, my friend, is not blowing in the wind. It is very much grounded and the reality is changing. Modern Indian theatre, or historically, what can be clearly identified as the Western proscenium style of theatre, is now taking a big leap — following in the footsteps of Broadway.

Till now, theatre has been more of a medium to spread social messages than about making money out of it. Some moves have been made to the business of theatre, and success has been only sporadic. But the arrival of new players signals a sea-change in the way commercial theatre is produced and staged.

One such player is the up and coming Kingdom of Dreams, India's answer to Sydney’s Opera House, Paris’ Moulin Rouge, Thailand's Phuket FantaSea, Singapore’s Esplanade and, of course, Broadway in New York and Westend in London. The Great Indian Nautanki Company along with Wizcraft International Entertainment is setting up a very unique entertainment and leisure destination built on 5.66 acres at a cost of Rs 150 crore.

Viraf Sarkari, Wizcraft director, says, “Our vision is to produce and develop a very new, innovative and entertainment medium. It’s not conventional theatre. Production standards will be totally world class and trend-setting. The show will provide mind-boggling entertainment experience for audiences from across the world. We are trying to make it as much affordable as possible for all audiences.”

In fact, we are witnessing what is termed ‘McTheatre’. The name suggests a number of core dynamics now operating inside mainstream commercial theatre: the players are transnational corporations; their stage is the global stage. The precursor to this in India is what has come to be known as ‘supper theatre’, where along with the performance, the audience gets to relax with food and drinks.

Kingdom of Dreams is a kaleidoscope of culture, food, shopping — all under the same roof. Sarkari says the idea came from the fact that India has so much to offer and showcase to the world -- culture, tradition, music, Bollywood and cuisine. But there is no destination that showcases the best of Indian entertainment.

Set up on land in Gurgaon leased by Haryana Urban Devolpement Authority, Kingdom of Dreams will boast of three distinct domains — Culture Gully, Nautanki Mahal, and Showshaa Theatre, each offering a unique entertainment proposition.

“This is almost like a multiplex of live entertainment. A folk carnival every evening, Ram Leela, diamond circus and a Bollywood musical every night,” says Sarkari. The Kingdom’s target audience is Indian families from and around Delhi, visitors from across the country, global corporate executives and tourists from all over the world.

Anuradha Kapur, a well-known director associated with the National School of Drama, says, “Theatre has always been for the masses. Theatre in Assam or in Andhra succeeds to attract large audiences, even if it happens just once a year. It is growing day by day and changes are always welcome. Nothing should stay static. So even theatre has to evolve and branch out. We as directors are not averse to experimental work and, therefore, Kingdom of Dreams is a good move towards attracting the affluent audience who can afford to entertain themselves by spending a little extra money.”

The Kingdom will itself produce some of the shows, which will showcase the best of Indian talent. Some shows already produced by reputable production houses will be hosted. “And definitely we will get the most popular Broadway and Westend shows to Kingdom of Dreams,” adds Sarkari.

Theatre has been successful in tapping the well-heeled and the intellectual classes in Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai. Delhi has never been hot on theatre, and staged plays are few and far between in the capital. But everywhere theatre is the result of efforts of aficionados who are without exception amateurs. Pro-fessional theatre groups don’t exist anywhere. Even in Kolkata, where theatre-going is common among the middle class.

Bibhash Chakraborty, an eminent theatre personality from Kolkata, says, “Theatre was and still is not commercialised in Kolkata. It is mostly group theatre that still dominates the region. Theatre for us is much more than just entertainment. It is a platform to bring social messages across various strata of society.” He adds that the top ticket price is no more than Rs 60 in Kolkata, as most theatres are government-owned. The “PVR culture” is not rampant in that city, and “supper theatre” business is yet to make a debut there.

But behind the spotlights, there is darkness. Almost all theatre groups lack performance space, rehearsal halls, training academies and funding. Many die premature deaths.

Most dedicated theatre personalities are forced to take a short cut and choose the glam way of Bollywood

or regional cinema in order to make a living.

Suraj Dhingra, who headed the secretariat at the recently held Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) in Delhi, says, “Those who belong to affluent families can fulfil their wish of sticking just to theatre and live their dream. But how many such people are there?

Eventually most move to more conventional forms of entertainment, mainly cinema, in order to earn their bread and butter. But I would not deny that there have been and still are many who have shown extreme commitment and lived their entire life within the four walls of theatre.”

Contemporary theatre, or Vegas type drama, is a show of the spectacular: where fetishistic deployments of technologies (helicopters, chandeliers) turn performers into props and props

into actors. The barriers of stage, orchestra, pits and gallery have been broken while reaching the heart of the common people.

New theatre, as promised by the Kingdom, will be different. Not just an amalgamation of art, dance, music and dialogues but a means of addressing the issues of society on a grand scale. The audience is bound to watch mesmerised, with a can of coke in one hand and a burger in the other. zz

ipshitakumar@mydigitalfc.com