Mahindra & Mahindra has instituted a new award for theatrical excellence but opinions are divided. |
It is not the Scorpio, the Bolero or the sophisticated farm tractor Arjun that is occupying Anand Mahindra's mind these days. He says he firmly believes that innovation and creativity can make India a global power house - and he is expressing this belief by involving himself in the more creative work of drama. |
Yes, Anand Mahindra, vice chairman and managing director, Mahindra & Mahindra, is weaving engineering with art. So immediately after inaugurating Mahindra's three-wheeler project in Hardwar, the corporate honcho annouced the institution of the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards in Delhi last week. |
No, it wasn't the holy Ganga which led to the change in minset "" Mahindra had already been promoting theatre through the Mumbai Festival. |
With prize money ranging between Rs 25,000-1 lakh, the group has announced two awards "" one each for established and emerging groups. Further, these will be split over several categories, ranging from best production, direction and acting to lighting design and soundtrack. |
To begin with, the competition will be restricted to Hindi and English plays in the four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, but it will later cover regional languages with a pan-India presence. M&M also intends to include street plays and college theatre, if they merit qualification. |
Though Anand Mahindra refrains from sharing the names of the critics who will judge individual plays and do the shortlisting (two plays will be shortlisted from each metro for the final round), he proudly talks about Jaya Bachchan, Ila Arun, Shabana Azmi, Zafar Hai and Amol Palekar forming the core team of the jury. |
The jury will select the final winners out of eight plays in an event which will be first held in Delhi in February 2006. After this, the award will become an annual event with M&M as the sole sponsor. |
"We may participate with airlines and hotels for services but we don't see ourselves involving any other corporate for the event. It's very much going to be an M&M show," says Mahindra. |
Theatre personalities like Aamir Raza Hussain are more than welcoming this. "If five such corporates involve themselves in the theatre world the way Anand Mahindra has, the theatre industry will be revolutionalised. I met Mahindra at the Mumbai Festival, he is a forward-looking person and understands and respects art," says Hussain. As for Mahindra, he feels creativity leads to innovation, and theatre is one of the leading forms of creativity. |
However, not all closely associated with theatre are excited. Kirti Jain, theatre director and professor with the National School of Drama (NSD), says most such corporate involvement remains restricted to popular, elite plays. |
"Unless Mahindra's interest percolates down to vernacular and serious theatre, this kind of award will not carry much meaning. Also, corporate involvement, at least through sponsorship, is not new," says Jain. |
Hussain differs: "Even if there was no prize money involved, I would welcome the M&M initiative, or for that matter any corporate engaging itself with theatre." |
He also says involvement of corporate houses will get in the much required funds that the theatre world needs. Jain, however, is not sure whether the award will be able to promote regional language theatre, which is most cash strapped. "Such corporate involvement tends to become Delhi- and Mumbai-centric." |
Hussain does not buy this. "They start with Delhi and Mumbai but corporate support helps any production house take its theatre group to other places. Not just that, they can also help reduce ticket prices," says he. |
Hussain is also of the view that corporates can be a useful alternative to institutional grants which are scarce in India. "In London, thanks to the grants by the municipal body of the city of London, ticket prices can come down from £40 to £10. In India, no such things happen, so as a director and producer I will be happy if more corporates involve themselves in the theatre world," says Hussain. |
Is Hussain being optimistic? What is important is whether Mahindra's interest goes beyond instituting the award? Can he play a role model for other industrialists to involve themselves in this field of art? |
For instance, will corporate houses be interested in taking up projects involving renovation and maintenance of theatres, or taking good plays abroad, or taking them to rural India? "Well, a beginning has been made. I am hopeful the Mahindras will also address other issues gradually. One good thing leads to another," says prominent theatre person Ila Arun. |
Critics are even raising questions about theatre persons maintaining their unbiased stance while judging plays for the Mahindra Excellence Awards. For instance, if Ila Arun is a jury member and she were to evaluate her own production house how will she do that? |
"Well, I would make the sacrifice and not involve my own group at all," says she, elaborating that a jury member's role will be critical in this award. |
Even while industry conjectures relating to various issues continue, Mahindra emphasises that his commitment to the theatre world is a long-term one. |
Firstly, he says, the spend on these activities is over and above the 1 per cent of profits after tax that the M&M group has committed to CSR (corporate social responsibility) activities. |
Secondly, he says the budget for this activity will be need-based. Thirdly, he aims to set up an academy for excellence in theatre as a permanent body, combining theory and practical training. |
Will this then pose competition to the ageing National School of Drama? It depends on what types of resources M&M devotes to the academy and what talent it attracts. |