Jogi's New Play

ಜೋಗಿ ಅವರ 

ವಿಶ್ವಾಮಿತ್ರ ಮೇನಕೆ ಡ್ಯಾನ್ಸ್ ಮಾಡೋದು ಏನಕೆ Ask Mr. YNK - a melodrama...

ನಾಟಕ ನೋಡಲು ಚಂದ, ಒದಲಿಕ್ಕಲ್ಲ ಎಂಬ ಮಾತಿದೆ. ಆದರೆ, ಕೆಲವು ನಾಟಕ ನೋಡಲೂ ಚಂದ ಓದಲೂ ಚಂದ, ಜೋಗಿ ಅವರ ಈ ನಾಟಕ ಈ ಸಾಲಿಗೆ ಸೇರಿದ್ದು. 

ನಾಟಕ ಹರ್ಷಭರಿತವಾಗಿದೆ, ದಾರುಣತೆ ಮಡಿಲಿನಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ ಕಥೆ ಅಂತೇನು ಇಲ್ಲ, ಅಂದರೆ ಹುಟ್ಟು, ಸಾವು, ಅವಸಾನ ಗಳೇನು ಇಲ್ಲ. ಬದುಕಿನ ಒಂದು ಸ್ಥಿತ್ಯಂತರದ ದಟ್ಟ ಗೋಚರವೇ ಇದರ ಜೀವಾಳ. ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಯಶಸ್ಸು ಸಾಧಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಜೋಗಿ. 

ಇದು ಒಂದು ದಾಂಪತ್ಯ ಕತೆ. ಮೂರು ಸ್ಥಿತಿ. ಮದುವೆಯೇ ಬೇಡವೆಂತಿದ್ದ ೪೦ರ  'ಘಾ' ನೆರೆಯವ ಅಸುಖದಲ್ಲು ಸುಖ ಇದೆ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿದ್ದ ಕೇಳಿ ಮದುವೆಗೆ ಚಟಪಡಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ. ೨೦ ವರ್ಷ ಕಳೆದ 'ವಿಶ್ವಾಮಿತ್ರ- ಮೇನಕೆ' ದಾಂಪತ್ಯದ ಎಂದಿನ ಜಗಳ ಸಾಕಾಗಿ ಸರ್ಕಾರದ 'ದಾಂಪತ್ಯ ನಿರ್ಮೂಲನ  ಇಲಾಖೆ' ಗೆ ಅರ್ಜಿಹಾಕಿ ಪಡೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತದೆ.  ಮುಸುಕಿನನಲ್ಲಿ ಫೋನಿನ ಪ್ರಣಯ ಕೇಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿರುವ 'ಶಕುಂತಲೆ' ಯನ್ನು ಮರೆತ 'ದುಷ್ಯಂತ' ಅವಳ ಒತ್ತಾಯದಲ್ಲೇ ಮಾತು ಮುಗಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ. 

ಘಾ ಗುಂಡು ಪ್ರಿಯ, ಏಣಿಯ ಅರ್ಧಕ್ಕೆ ಹತ್ತಿ ಕುಳಿತಿರುವುದೇ ಇವನ ಸ್ಥಾನ. ರಾಶಿ ಫೋನು, ಕುರ್ಚಿ ಮೇಜುಗಳ ಮಧ್ಯೆ ಇರುವವರು ವಿಶ್ವಾಮಿತ್ರ ಮೇನಕೆ. ದಾಂಪತ್ಯ ನಿರ್ಮೂಲನ ಇಲಾಖೆಯ ಮೊದಲನೇ ಕೇಸು ನಿರ್ಮೂಲನೆ ಪರವಾಗಿಯೇ ಇರಬೇಕು, ಆಗಲೇ ಈ ಇಲಾಖೆ ತೆರೆದಿದ್ದಕ್ಕೆ ಗೌರವ ಎಂದು ಹಠ ಹಿಡಿದಿರುವ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿ. ಕಡೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಸುಕಿನ ಪ್ರಣಯನಿರತ ಶಕುಂತಲೆಯ ಹಾಸಿಗೆ.  ಇದು ಒಟ್ಟಾರೆಯ ರಂಗ ಮಂಚ. 

ನಾಟಕದ ಕೊನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ನಮ್ಮ ವಿಶ್ವಾಮಿತ್ರ ಮೇನಕೆಯವರು ಅವರವರಿಗೆ ಪ್ರತ್ಯೇಕವಾದ ವರ್ತುಲಾಕಾರದ ಬೆಳಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ದಾಂಪತ್ಯ ನಿರ್ಮೂಲನ ಇಲಾಖೆ ಕೊಟ್ಟಿರುವ ಪರವಾನಿಗೆ ಪತ್ರವನ್ನು ಕೈಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹಿಡಿದು ತಿರುಗಿಸುತ್ತಾ ನಾಟ್ಯ ವಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಈಗ ಗೊತ್ತಾಯಿತಾ ವಿಶ್ವಾಮಿತ್ರ ಮೇನಕೆ ಡ್ಯಾನ್ಸ್ ಮಾಡೋದು ಏನಕೆ ಅಂತ?!

ಶುಷ್ಕ ಬದುಕಿನ ಪ್ರಭಾವಶಾಲಿ ನಿರೂಪಣೆ ಈ ನಾಟಕ.  ಕಾಫ್ಕ ನ ಅಸಂಗತ (Absurd) ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯದ ನೆನಪು ತರುತ್ತದೆ. ಆದರೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಉದ್ದಕ್ಕೂ ಬರುವ ದಾರುಣತೆಯ ಸಾಂದ್ರತೆ ಅಸಂಗತೆಯನ್ನು ಮೀರಿ ಹೋಗುತ್ತದೆ.

 ನಾಟಕದ ಉದ್ದಕ್ಕೂ ವೈಎನ್ಕೆ ನುಡಿಗಳಿವೆ, ​ಈ ಕೃತಿಯೇ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಅರ್ಪಣೆಯಾಗಿದೆ. 

ಜೋಗಿಯವರು ಒಂದು ಹರ್ಷೋಲ್ಲಾಸದ ಹಾಸ್ಯಭರಿತ ನಾಟಕವನ್ನು ನಮಗೆ ಕೊಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಬರಡಾದ ಅಂತರಂಗದ ಬದುಕನ್ನು ಅದೆಷ್ಟು ಸೊಗಸಾಗಿ, ಸೃಜನಶೀಲತೆಯಿಂದ ಶಿಲ್ಪಿಸಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಮುಂದಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಓದಲು, ನೋಡಲು ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಯೋಗ್ಯ ಹಾಗೂ ಸೂಕ್ತ. ವಂದನೆಗಳು, ಅಭಿನಂದನೆಗಳು ಜೋಗಿ ಅವರೇ. 

PUNJAB ON HIGH / UDTA PUNJAB

Udta Punjab Film.

She (Alia Bhat), a Bihari migrant girl, is seen on the field. A packet of narcotic drug drops near her. She takes it, try to sell it and soon sensing its seriousness she throws the packet into the well. But her woes are not over. She was abducted by the owners of the drugs packet who had noticed her possession and disposal, attempts a gang rape and when resisted vehemently she was drugged and misused by the gang who even offer her to their protectors, the police. She was bound in their hideout. She manages an escape and starts running.

Tommy Singh (Shahid Kapoor), a DJ, a drug addict, who popularised drug intoxication in his pop singing has a huge following. Soon addiction affects his health and career badly, gives up addiction, attempts singing anti drug songs, booed and chased by the public, starts running.

Sartaj Singh ( Diljit Dosanjh), a corrupt Police Officer, who allows illegal drugs by taking bribes, realises that his own brother is a severe drug addict and got admitted after a over dose to a rehabilitation hospital looked after by Dr. Preet Sahani ( Kareena Kapoor), changes his track and join hands with the doctor to expose the racket, starts investigating by collecting documents and photos of underground drug business. Brother of the police officer Sartaj who was in the hospital manages an escape, Dr. Preet notices it and tries to stop him, scuffle ensues and he stabs her to death. Police arrive at the scene, notices documents of drug rackets collected by the doctor and the officer where many police higher ups and politicians are mentioned. When Sartaj, after all a junior officer, arrives, the police there thrash him and take him to a hideout to plan further action against him and his investigation report.

The other two, Alia and Shahid, who were running out of the drug ring, happen to run into the same place where police have brought Sartaj and immediately the drug racketeers chasing the two also converge on the same place. Encounter follows. Sartaj, Alia and Shahid manage to kill all of them - the police and the drug traffickers. 

Investigation report being exposed now, government announces an enquiry.

The above narration is made just to show that nowhere drugs are idolised or glamorised, in fact its evil, horror and harm is exposed almost side by side of its use. Even the politics is not made into any major issue as the malady is caused by all concerned including addicts, police, public and politicians - all shown in its natural and true colours. Only twice, that too for few seconds, politicians are touched upon where Sartaj unsuccessfully attempts to take a photo of an MLA in the underground drug lab and Store and on the second time when Sartaj mentions that it is difficult to handle as many higher ups in the police and politics are involved especially when the election is round the corner to which Dr. Preet suddenly gets a flash of an idea that election is the the one thing they are afraid of and we must make use of it. 

Alia Bhat has given an excellent performance, she is so totally consumed by her role that we hardly recognise her as we have seen her so far. Shahid Kapoor too has put up a spirited performance.

Udta Punjab is an exceptionally well made movie with a powerful grip on the technique of making a cinema. Its mix of light and shade, sound and silence and background score in general have been very evocative and interpretative of the theme depicted. Dead silence during pathos is chilling. Water and swimming scenes too are symbolical: rising to the surface of water when decided to quit drugs, floating under water when 'high' are the two examples of it. 

The film could refer to the drug malice in any state, it nowhere mentions that Punjab is the only or a worse state.  In fact, Bangalore is supposed to soon acquire the status of number one!

Director Abhishek Choubey and Producers Shobha and Ekta Kapoors have done a great job in so finely sculpting such a beautiful film.

dvaitaadvaitavishishtaadvita: Reflection of Reality in Different Level of Consciousness

The three schools of thought on Supreme Reality in Hinduism which explains the relation between a human being and God - dvaita (dualism), advaita (monism), and vishishta advaita (qualified monism) - is often seem to be contrasting and contradicting one another. The school of Dualism expounded by Madhvacharya states that you are separate from God and can never be one with Him. The school of Monism, expounded by Adi Shankaracharya states that you are God, the absolute oneness of God and cannot be separated from Him. The school of Qualified Monism expounded by Ramanujacharya considers you as an aspect of God, a part of the Whole/God and can never merge with Him. Yet, all the three schools profess strong allegiance to texts of Vedanta!

Surprisingly, the three viewpoints were reckoned much much earlier to the advent of the above schools of thought by Hanuman in Ramayana and a wonderful integration of the three may be found in his statement when he was asked how he was related to God. Hanuman answered thus:

dehabhavena daso'smi / when I considered my body, I am your/God's servant. This is dvaita.

jeevabhavena tvadamshakah / when I consider my mind, I am part of you. This is vishishtaadvaita.

atmabhavena tvamevaham / when I consider mySelf, you and I are one. This is advaita.

Knowledge is a structure in Consciousness, at different level of consciousness the same Reality looks differently. Body consciousness, mind consciousness and soul consciousness reflect reality in each in a different way: as separate from, as part of or as one with Reality respectively.

Afterall, the mudras, namam and vibhuti  of the dvaitis, vishishtaadvaitis and advaitis respectively through which the three sects distinguish themselves reflects their perception of Reality at their different level of consciousness!

November 14, 20010

Reference: Parthasarathy, A (2004): Vedanta Treatise, Pp. 331-33

From: thimmappams.blogspot.in

Drug Addiction, Udta Punjab and Society.

Udta Punjab: allowing it to be shown as it is made may be a sign of healthy society apart from respecting creativity and freedom, especially when it is shown with not only the use of drug but also its ill effects on health, breakup of family and other friendships; and how the middlemen, police, politicians mint money in the drug trade at the cost of the users. Who knows, after seeing all these the user may quit drugs thus paying way for his reformation and rehabilitation in the society.
ಉಡ್ತಾಪಂಜಾಬ್ ಃ ಅದನ್ನು ತಯಾರಿಸಿದಂತೆಯೇ ಬಿಡುಗಡೆ ಮಾಡಿರುವುದು ಸೃಜನಶೀಲತೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅಭಿವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯವನ್ನು ಗೌರವಿಸುವುದರ ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಆರೋಗ್ಯ ಸಮಾಜದ ಕುರುಹೂ  ಆಗಬಹುದು. ಅದರಲ್ಲೂ, ಬರೀ ದ್ರವ್ಯಸೇವನೆಯನ್ನು ಮಾತ್ರ ತೋರಿಸದೆ ಅದರ ಜೊತೆ ಜೊತೆಗೇ ಅದರ ಆರೋಗ್ಯದ ಮೇಲಿನ ದುಶ್ಪರಿಣಾಮ, ಕುಟುಂಬ ಮತ್ತು ಇತರ ಸ್ನೇಹ ಸಂಬಂಧಗಳ ಬಿರುಕು ಮತ್ತು ಇದರಿಂದ ಹೇಗೆ ಮಧ್ಯವರ್ತಿಗಳು ಪೋಲೀಸು, ರಾರಜಕಾರಣಿಗಳು ದ್ರವ್ಯ ವ್ಯಸನಿಯ ದುರಂತದಮೇಲೆ ಅಪಾರ ಹಣ ದೋಚುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಇವೆಲ್ಲವನ್ನೂ ತೋರಿಸಿದಾಗ ವ್ಯಸನಿಯು ರೋಷ, ಜಿಗುಪ್ಸೆಯಿಂದ ಹವ್ಯಾಸವನ್ನು ಬಿಟ್ಟು ತನ್ನ ಸುಧಾರಣೆ ಮತ್ತು ಪುನ:ಸ್ಥಾಪನೆಯತ್ತ ಗಮನಕೊಡಲಿಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿನೆಮ ನಾಂದಿಯಾಗಬಹುದು.

World Environment Day Greetings

Happy Environment Day ಪರಿಸರ ದಿನದ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು.

United Nations has declared June 5 as World Environment Day to raise global awareness to take positive environmental action to protect nature and the planet earth, and it has been observed since 1974. Each year UN chooses a theme and a host country related to Environment issues. This year the theme is "Fight Against the Illegal Trade in Wild Life" and the host country chosen is Angola.

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit ~ Nelson Henderson.
ಬದುಕಿನ ನಿಜವಾದ ಅರ್ಥ ಮರ ನೆಡುವುದು, ಅದರ ನೆರಳಿನಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೀವು ಕೂರವ ನಿರೀಕ್ಷೆ ಇಲ್ಲದೆ.

THE THREE 'PATHYS! - EMPATHY, SYMPATHY AND APATHY.

Empathy, Sympathy and Apathy are the foundations of making and unmaking of relationships.

Empathy is the power of identifying oneself mentally with a person or object. It is the ability to see others as they themselves see. It is stepping oneself in other shoes as only the wearer of the shoes knows where it pinches. One may or may not agree with the other, but allows oneself and the other to be fully themselves and regard each other all the same  The French Libertine Philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau once said to his friend that "I may not agree with even a word of what you say, but I will fight to my death your right to say it". This is empathy. Although one may not agree with the other but he will see and understand what the other means and respect the other all the same. This is the sure foundation of any good and lasting interpersonal relationships, - of parents-child, of siblings, of friends, of wedded couples, of teacher-pupil, of leaders and their wards. This is called paraanubhuuti  in my Kannada language.

Sympathy is the state of being simultaneously affected with a feeling similar to that of another person, it is a favourable attitude to and an approval of whatever the other person feels and does. It is a sort of agreeing to whatever the other says, often thinking that it would fetch love and approval towards oneself from the other. Yet, it does not happen that way. Although it may fetch a temporary positive relationship, it would not last long. In fact, often it leads to exploitative relationships, people takes one for granted. One is shaped to be ones true selves by the comments, suggestions and reflections of what other truly feel about oneself, in addition to what one experiences within oneself. By agreeing to whatever the other says, hoping that the other would love it, we are in fact helping the other to become what they are not! It is bound to create tension and uneasiness in relationships. Sympathy is sahaanubhuuti. 

Apathy is the lack of interest or feeling for others, a total indifference. This of course does not fetch any relationships. This is udaaseenate/niraasakti.

The other day I read a comment in TIME (June 6, 2016) by Michele Borba, an US based educational psychologist and author of 'UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in our All-About-Me World', on why kids need more empathy, which I reproduce below in full:

"WHAT TRAIT DO KIDS REALLY NEED TO BE happy and successful?" Over the years, hundred of parents have asked me that question. My answer surprises most: empathy. More than acing tests or earning fancy degrees, kids-and adults-who understand and appreciate the people around them are better able to collaborate, innovate and problem-solve. Studies show they are happier too. 

Unfortunately in America, we have a serious empathy  deficit. I call it the "Selfie Syndrome". Thanks in part to the rise of social media, as well as changes in our culture and parenting styles, today's kids are more self-absorbed than ever; one study estimates narcissism rates among college students are up 58% versus three decades ago. And this has given rise to a culture of bullying, cheating and unhappiness. One in five middle-class students contemplates suicide as a solution to peer cruelty, 70% of college kids admit to cheating in class, and one-third of all college students report having felt so depressed that they had trouble functioning.

Cultivating empathy has traditionally been low on child-rearing to-do lists. (After all, when's the last time you saw a bumper sticker that said PROUD PARENT OF A KIND KID?) But we need to make it a priority, both at home and in schools. At stake if we don't? Everything we hope for in our children's future-and our own".

Empathy contributes to expanding and growing self in oneself and others, and love for others as they are.