The Indian Express 07.08.2012
Mayor backs corporators’ demand to ban adult plays in BMC halls
Less than a week after he ordered the removal of Jism 2 posters from
BEST buses, Mayor Sunil Prabhu has echoed some corporators’ demand to
ban an adult play in community halls owned by the Brihanmumbai Municipal
Corporation (BMC).
MNS corporator Sheetal Mukesh Mhatre from R-North ward on Monday
demanded a ban on the performance of adult plays in BMC-owned community
halls. Surprisingly, the director of the play Ek Chavat Sandhyakaal (A
Naughty Evening), Ashok Patole, has himself kept the play off limits for
women till it completes 25 shows.
“Two weeks ago, a woman complained that she was not allowed to
watch Ek Chavat Sandhyakaal as it was deemed unfit for women. This sort
of treatment should not be allowed in a public theatre; there should be
some norms,” Mhatre told the BMC general body meeting on Monday. “These
activities are spoiling the name of Mumbai. They should be
family-friendly. It should not be that only a certain section of the
public can watch these at a community theatre.”
Taking note of her strident opposition, Prabhu told Additional
Municipal Commissioner, Aseem Gupta, “The BMC must keep a watch to make
sure that all its community halls are being used for the right purposes
and the plays performed follow the norms as required of these spaces.”
These are public spaces and must be open to everyone, he added.
Patole, also the writer of Ek Chavat Sandhyakaal, said: “Around
two weeks ago, we received a letter from the Prabhodhan Thackeray Hall
in Borivali, stating that parents of some young boys and girls had
complained about the staging of three plays — Ek Chavat Sandhyakaal,
Shivaji Underground and Yonichya Gujagoshti. They objected saying the
venue, which has a library frequented by youngsters, was meant for
cultural programmes. They said they could not permit performance of a
play with adult content.”
Patole said it is true only men were allowed to see the play. He,
however, added that they would open their play for women after
completing 25 shows. “We are not going to make any changes in the script
but we will let women also watch it after we complete 25 shows.” The
play, which was first staged on June 8, has so far had 20 shows.
Both Patole and the corporators came in for criticism by theatre
personalities. Theatre director Sushama Deshpande said, “Every script
goes through censorship before it is staged. So, this is a funny thing
to do. If they are performing it professionally, women viewers should be
given the choice of taking a stand. Stopping them from watching it
sounds like an attempt to sensationalise it.”
Arun Kankre, a prominent theatre personality and one of the
founders of Awishkar, an experimental Marathi theatre group, said: “I
have not seen the play. However, I do not support banning a play.”
