Dusk - Sudiptaa Bhattacharya The sky, Change its form. I sit alone, On a roof by norm. Just as a ritual, As they fly casual. They are the birds, That passed, bidding adieu, To the day.
Reading Binodini Dasi's autobiography, as a reader my inner self felt that the passive actress of the then theatre read my vulnerable mind. A real life character that at first served the economic interest of her family then served both economic and sexual interest of theatre and of the elite males (the 'babus') respectively. Poverty drove her to stage, and eventually theatre became her passion, her spirit of life. Being a widow since very childhood, in her youthful days she always wanted to have a family along with her theatrical life.
Last Wednesday on 8th of March, on women's day I was fortunate enough to witness "Binodini Opera" at Academy of Fine Arts, where the eminent actress Sudipta Chakraborty played the role of Binodini Dasi. This is for the first time I felt the catharsis sitting in the audience chair by witnessing the tragic illusion created on the stage. Tears rolled down my cheeks as Binodini's pain and the exploitation that she faced touched my soul.
Now, coming to the analytical part of Binodini's life it is evident that Theatre in general and her teacher Girish Ghosh in particular used and exploited her for the purpose of theatre and the to the elite male chauvinists she was a docile object of entertainment. Her quality, her theatrical ability was not honoured but it was just used on purpose rather she was used as a gambling object. She was the Draupadi of her times. It seems too ironical to see that I mentioned Girish Ghosh exploited Binodini Dasi. Well, this man was a polished shrewd individual to run his theatrical group in his name and dominance. Coming to the explanation in this regard in the later parts of writing.
In those days the elite class or the zamindars had a custom to enjoy theatre and derive sexual pleasure from the actress on stage. One such elite men was Kumar Bahadur whom Binodini mentioned as Mr.X in her autobiography as she was afraid to reveal his name. Binodini actually felt in love with this man, she wanted a family with him and simultaneously wanted to be on stage which the society of the times did not allow. She had to choose either. Just observe the two aspects of irony here. Girish Ghosh her theatrical master already had a family with wife and children, a job and also a theatre group but in case of Binodini she has to choose either because an actress in those days were nothing different from a prostitute. On the other hand Kumar Bahadur who chose Binodini from theatre (I used the word 'chose' and not 'love' because it was more about an elite way of deriving sexual pleasure than love) initially did not allow her to continue as an actress if she had to marry him. Binodini was in front of a harsh reality where she needed or rather desired both but had to choose one. Finally Kumar Bahadur was convinced that Binodini would work in theatre as an actress but she would not be paid. As if Binodini became his possession whom anybody else can not take over by offering money. Kumar Bahadur and Girish Ghosh had good terms so, Girish Ghosh tactfully settled the matter by secretly paying her salary to her mother. Binodini was not the married wife of Kumar Bahadur, she had the status of an "Ashrita". Eventually Kumar Bahadur cheated on Binodini and he got married.
Since then, days have passed and there came the new phase of theatre. Binodini was again caught into the eyes of another elite man named Gurmukh Roy. This episode gives a clear cut picture of how Theatre in general and Girish Ghosh in particular exploited Binodini for the sake of theatre. Gurmukh Roy was convinced to produce capital to Girish Ghosh's theatre company on one condition. The condition claimed that Binodini would become his possession and she should bid adieu to her theatre life. Girish Ghosh and his team convinced by emotionally moulding Binodini by saying that, Binodini who would die for theatre can do for the sake of the theatre to grow. Have a close observation to the exploitation here, just because she was passive, just because she was the face of the theatre for whom the elite men gathered to enjoy the theatre, Girish Ghosh just manipulated her as his business material, he just used her as a bait. Binodini was deprived of her rights, her talent, her craft inspite of being dedicated to her craft and to her teacher. Her dedication as an artist should have given her a long way to prosper instead she was alienated at the cost of theatre. Here, let me relate it personally. In India, as I have seen, specially in this performing arts field, in the Guru Shishya parampara in the name of dedication and respect towards the master or to the craft, this kind of exploitation is an age old tradition.
Binodini never loved Gurmukh Roy, she just stayed with her for the sake of her master's theatre company to grow. She demanded for a theatre hall in her name, 'B Theatre ' or 'Binodini Theatre' . They questioned it as Binodini's greed. Gurmukh Das failed to present it to Binodini just because of the politics of Girish Ghosh's theatre group for the sake of whom Binodini sacrificed her acting life. Didn't she deserve a "B Theatre"? Didn't her talent claim so? If this was her greed and desire then what did she deserve? Only to get treated as an object of male sexual desire in return of her talent? They said if a theatre hall would be named after a Noti (actress) then people would not come to that theatre because it would not sound prestigious. How ironically funny it is that those male chauvinists would gather in theatre for the face rather physique named Binodini but if the theatre hall is named after her it would not be that prestigious for them to come. Finally the name of the hall became 'Star Theatre'. Girish Ghosh taughted Binodini that the name of individual is not of great importance but the name of the team in general should be highlighted. If that is his teachings then he himself violated his teachings and exploited Binodini and subjugated her so that she could never have a spine to raise her own voice and make a significant position as an actress in Indian theatre.
As Binodini was ageing he started giving Binodini's role in the theatre to the young girls by not even informing her. Is this the disrespect that she deserved after giving immense respect to her master? She almost treated him like a god. After all these humiliations she never thought of making a theatre group that would stand against Girish Ghosh's theatre group. She just made herself aloof from the world of theatre with the passage of time for some reasons that nobody exactly knows.
Binodini's tragic life gives a vision that patriarchy treats women as the docile object of male consumption. The talent of a woman or her craft is never taken into consideration, respecting it with dignity is a far off thing. A woman can only be abused physically or can be used for the economic purpose, she is just like a commodity to be sold in market.
India has a vast cultural heritage but in order to preserve so, the cultural masters need to provide the honour that a budding artist deserves. Even in this age exploitation in cultural field is evident in many aspects.
Binodini was not a rebel in a world that exploited her but she was a passive fighter.
You have portrayed the true scenario of exploitation that many women have faced and facing continuously in the world of theatre and film industry as well as in the male dominated society.
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Thank you so much.....These days man has accepted exploitation as a part of their life but we need to raise voice against it. Thank you so much for your comment 😊💞❤️
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