Bhavai Introduction and History

Paper: 2 Relationship Of Dance And Theatre, Study Of Rupaka And Uparupaka, Traditional Theatres Of India Module 11 Bhavai Introduction And History Bhavai is an extraordinary and unparalleled example of performing arts in Gujarat. It is rich with history, acting, dramatic inspiration and pleasure. There is free flow of the power of imagination. Sharp writing that focuses on important lessons for life revolves around a pithy story. New ideals of youth are chiseled out. Bhavai is an inspiration and holds a mirror to youth. Therefore there is a rationale behind the study of Bhavai. The following is a sketch of the proposed programme: 1) Arrive at fundamental resolutions to discuss how Bhavai can fit into the modern era. 2) Explore the resolutions necessary to accustom to the contemporary era, and where to derive advice and consultations for the same? 3) Brainstorming over means to encourage Bhavai performances. Thinking about solutions like organising competitions, monoacts, and writing on new situations and encouraging other actions on similar thought. 4) To popularise the best Bhavai acts ever staged 5) To think about the possibilities and means by which Bhavai performers can contribute to the Indian governments initiatives, 1 just like people from other professions/disciplines are contributing in their own manner. 6) To organise all Bhavai groups on a common platform 7) To make efforts to address the existential issues of all Bhavai groups 8) To provide systematic training to rising stars of Bhavai so that the art form can exist in the contemporary times. Also for the development of the said artists, make efforts to set up a respective social role so that Bhavai performers as well as the Bhavai genre can prosper and the grand legacy of Bhavai folk art is sustained. 9) Make required arrangement to publish history of Bhavai art form 10) Create a series of befitting acts that help in upholding the cultural inheritance of the nation, keeping in mind the core issues facing the society and nation at large and using Bhavai as a medium to provide solution to these pressing problems. 11) To undertake notations, conduct recordings and sell song cassettes of Bhavai songs so that they can be preserved, archived, popularised and conserved. 12) To give a modern makeover to Bhavai acts scripted on patriotic themes, to accommodate modern concerns and sentiments, and promote the new acts accordingly. Lok Natya : What is popularly referred to as ‘Lok-Natya’ or Folk drama and exists in forms such as Bhavai, Tamasha, Manch / भवाई, तमाशा, मंच or Bhaand doesn’t conform to the rules defined by Sage Bharatmuni in his work, Natyashastra. The content is a mix of wit and wisdom, spiritual discourses, and matters 2 relating to religion. The performers and the dramatic troupes are spread across the nation. The medium of instruction is not any specific grammatically correct language. The intention of these plays is to make the audience understand the context by performing in the native language of the region. So that more and more people can relate to it. In a big and diverse country like India, the dialect of the people changes at short geographic distance. Also, depending on the ethnicity, the meaning and pronunciation of words keep changing. Origin of the word Bhavai: The late Harilal A Dhruv has indicated the origin of the word ‘Bhavai’ from ‘Bhav-Shiv / भाव-शशव’ and ‘Bhaav- Sutradhar / भाव-सत्रू धार’. Late Narsinhrao has debunked the first origin and opined that, “It is virtually impossible for words popularized from Sanskrit plays to have any similarity or find place in the folk forms such as Bhavai”. On the latter, Narsinhrao feels, “Without the personification of ‘Sutradhar’, the word ‘Bhav’ is not synonymous with ‘Nat’. It is possible that the word ‘Bhavai’ and the performers, ‘Bhavaiiya / भवैया’ may owe a common root of origin. Late Dolavrai Manade sought corollary on the phrase ‘Bhavaaprakashanam / भावाप्रकाशनम’ to support the association of ‘Bhav’ with’ ‘Nat’. He said that ‘Nat’ can be equated with ‘Bhaav’. There used to be plays dealing mainly with emotions or ‘Bhaav’. Plays in which you find a ‘Bhaav-Nirupan / भाव-नी셂ऩण’ become dance-oriented subgroups. The sub-groups developed first, constituting the main emotional theme and look of the play. Thereby it earned the term ‘Bhaav’. 3 History: Asaita is accredited to be the originator of Bhavai art form in a systematic manner. The manuscripts of Asaita’s authored story ‘Hansauli / हंसौऱी’ have been discovered. Based on the completion of this story, Dr KK Shastri pegs the era of Asaita to be in 1320-1390 AD. Based on the available sources, during the rule of Mohd. Tughlaq, Asait-Asharam was born in a village named Siddhpur in Gujarat. When three of his brothers blended with other families to form a ‘Ter-ghar / तेर-घर’ community from which he earned the nomenclature ‘Targharwalla / तेरघरवाऱा’, which evolved into ‘Targhaala / तरघाऱा’ and later ‘Targalla / तरगाऱा’. Being indebted to the legendary epic-writer/orator Maharishi Ved Vyas, the tribe of story writer/tellers are also addressed to as Vyas. Being a good writer Asaita became famous and was addressed as Vyas. Over a period of time, he understood that people were more interested in seeing as well as listening to stories, against the prevalent custom of listening to stories. He expanded the boundaries of story and storytelling. He promoted the art of folk play. In order to make it universally acceptable, he infused it with spiritual/religious elements. The play began with an invocation, worshipping the female deity. Folklore has it that Asaita was successful in impressing upon Goddess Umiya through worship. The goddess gave him accessories like hair wig, bangles and woman’s bodice and instructed him to make an actor wear them and impersonate Mata Umiya on stage and worship her. This is how Asaita introduced the concept of ‘Vesh’ or characterisation in Bhavai. 4 Till date, all Bhavai begin unfailingly with an invocation to various Goddesses. Every year, when a travelling Bhavai group begins its journey, it fixes an auspicious time and performs an invocation called ‘Mundara / मंद रा’ at a temple of Goddess or Lord Shiva. Thereafter it visits different villages and performs its new acts. According to folklore Aeda Thakor / असाइत ठाकोर was a transvestite. He would dress up as a ‘Paaveiya / ऩावैया’. He would worship Goddess Bahucharaji, who blessed him with a masculine body. And the goddess passed on the dress discarded by Aeda Thakor to Asait, and gave a blessing that whoever puts on these clothes and performs in Bhavai, his kith kin would never be cursed with a transvestite child. This is also accorded as the origin of ‘Vesh’ in Bhavai. Apart from spiritual and historic imageries, the characters also portray social ‘Vesh’ or embodiment. Modern day ‘Vesh’ of Bhavai are classified as under Spiritual: Gajanan (Ganesha), Paavpurana, Shankar-Parvati, Mahadev Waadi, Ganesha Vesh, Krishna-Gopi, Krishna Leela, RaasLeela, Krishna birth , Brahmin Vesh, Daan (charity) Leela, Khodiyar, Ramdev Pir, Santoshi Mata, Gorakh-Madhi, Kerva Historic: Exile of Rama, Rama-Ravana battle, Raja Harishchandra, Raja Bharyuhari, Draupadi Vastraharana, Vaaman-Madhi, Arrival of Spring, Saptamati, Sheth Sagalshah Rajput heroics: Jashma Odhan, Ramdev, Sadhroje, Ran Vaghan, Viko Sisodiyo, Hamir Ratan, Athel Padmini, Jesal Jadeja, Veer Champaraj, Veer Amelwalla, Janal’s letters, Veer Mangdavala, Elman Jethwa 5 Inspired by Muslim rules: Juthan, Swinging by trees, Chelbatau, Pathan, Baamani, Miya-Biwi, Fakir-Nayak Other communities: Vanzara, Kansara, Darji ( Sai), Saraniya, Kumbhar ( potter), Bhoi ( fisherman), Puraliyo, Thathaar Vesh, Baawa (saint) Vesh, Jogi-Jogan, Vaaghri ( ragpicker) ,mocha ( cobbler), Marwadi, Kathi Social inquiry : Romantic episodes, Mahiyari, 4 robbers, Kajoda, interaction between a saint and a housewife, Rana Kunwar, Kunwari Sati, Colour of Paanetar (Bridal saree of Gujarat), Incomplete woman, the sword of Lakhansingh, Shani Vijanand, The jewels of Saint, Naagmati-Naagwalo, Albola-Mordola Relation between stories and Vedic episodes: The Bhavai acts would either be based on religious beliefs or pointing a finger towards the burning social issues of the era. At times, the Bhavai performers would understand the pulse of the common people and perform those acts which appeal to the masses. Important aspects of Bhavai acts 1) Episodes of religious significance 2) Events related to the youthful days of Lord Rama or Krishna 3) Acts of miracle 4) Social problems 5) Romantic stories 6) Tales of bravado or Daayro 7) Horror stories The sub-plot would often revolve around 6 1) Wife who doesn’t listen to husband 2) Argumentative wife 3) Foolish son 4) Verbal clashes between wife and mother 5) Clashes between mother-in-law and son-in law 6) One up-man ship between sisters in law 7) Unemployed husband and profligate wife 8) Father who doesn’t send his daughter to the home of her husband and the husband trying hard to convince his father in law Dialogues: Dialogues are key to the success of Bhavai performances. The dialogues and interactions between characters are often conducted in everyday language, using simple and short dialogues, not verbose or emotionally titillating. So measured were the dialogues and instructions/messages in Bhavai that the actors would not utter a word more than required. This established a connection between the spectators and the performer. Let’s look at a dummy interaction: Thakor Tichoo Jee: “Oh Rangla, here we are in Ventpur and our home is in Vaanspur. I am aged eight years and the Thakor is 28. Talking to the Thakor rana is similar to putting one’s hand in the mouth of a tiger. Let me tell you a story about a day when four visitors came to my home” Ranglo: Hey Thakor! So many people came together? Did they poke through a small opening in the narrow wall? Who were they? 7 Thakor Tichoo Jee: One was Thakur Rana’s father and other was my father-in-law, the third was the brother of Thakur Rana and the fourth was my brother-in-law.

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