"We have to face many challenges while running a mobile theatre unit. The people want a good story with sets like they see in films," Krishno Roy of Awahan Theatre told PTI. The mobile theatre groups in Assam take with them all accessories, including wooden podium, curtains, sets, music and lighting system.
A theatre group charges around Rs 30,000 to 40,000 per show and pitches camp for four to five days. "People are still attracted towards mobile theatres because they find something here which they cannot find in films," Roy said.
From Hengul, Kohinoor, Awahan, Srimanta Sankardeva to their petty counterparts like Bhagyadevi, they account for the over 20 such groups in Assam. "We are getting good response from people throughout the state. It is the high-tech, audio-visual effects used in the plays and scripts depicting the present socio-economic conditions which attract people," said Pankaj Hazarika, owner of Hengul Theatre which is doing good business this year with Assamese heart throb Syamantika Sharma and Prasenjeet.
"We are getting more crowds in Lower Assam especially in rural pockets," he said.
Ratan Lahkar, owner of Kohinoor said that he tried to give money's worth to the people with a full package of entertainment from the script, acting, lighting, music and settings.
"I never solely depend on particular glamorous artistes for success of my plays, but depend on the entire team," Lahkar claimed.
Kohinoor performed in April at New Delhi at the invitation of National School of Drama (NSD) to win accolades. "NSD, of late, is giving due recognition to mobile theatres of Assam and they have invited us again to New Delhi to stage 'Titanic' in Hindi. I am working on it," Lahkar, who is himself a good actor, said.
Script writers, however, said "the present generation prefer fast-paced dramas. They also want scripts to be non-political," said playwright Abhijit Bhattacharya. Bhattacharya has written 18 play and some such as Rumal (staged by Kohinoor), Rudra Sagar (Raj Tilak), Halla and Tumi (Hengul) and Pokhila (Awahan) have become popular.
Prior to the advent of these theatre groups, the Bengali 'yatras' were the prime source of entertainment for the people living in backward pockets of the state. The 'yatras' stopped once the theatre groups started making their presence felt in both urban and rural areas.
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