Kabeer comes alive in California

A two-hr play on the holy saint aptly captured the themes of religious intolerance and bigotry, writes Shalini Narang.

Expectations rarely match results. Sometimes, consequences exceed anticipations. Sometimes, time prospects are marred by actual happenings.

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After having viewed actor and playwright Shekhar Sen's spectacularly presented mono play Vivekananda a couple of weeks back, my outlook towards his next work Kabeer should have been sky high.

But somehow, I felt that he could not do justice to another lofty subject.

The critic in me, while crossing the nine-mile long San Mateo bridge to reach the East Bay venue for the show, thought, "Vivekananda might be his signature piece. He can't better that."

My doubts were dispelled in just a few minutes.

With a superb presentation and performance of the two-hour mono play Kabeer at the Chabot College auditorium in Hayward, Shekhar Sen has definitely accentuated his position as a peerless performer and presenter in my mind.

Not only I look forward to see the last work of his trilogy titled Tulsi about Goswami Tulsidas, but also hope that he carries on with similar works in future.

The program began with an enumeration of Shekhar Sen's request for translation of Kabeer in English to Linda Hess, a lecturer of Religious Studies at the Stanford University during her visit to India.

Speaking in Hindi to the delight and applause of the audience, she humorously narrated her hesitant meeting, an often-used alibi of mere paas samay nahi hai (I don't have time) to turn away the artist to the final consent of undertaking the translation due to his persistent perusal.

Linda specialises in Hinduism and has extensively written about the poetry of India's great 15th and 16th century poet-saints, their ongoing popularity, influence and performance modes of their works.

Her research and teaching interests include poetry of religious experiences, genders, performances and reception of religious texts and practices by people in different social and historical milieus.

The curtains rolled up after the short introduction, taking the viewers on a journey of the life of one of India's great souls.

Donning the ultra simple garb representative of the Kabeer amidst a simple yet evocative stage set-up, the talented actor opened the performance with the famous couplet, Kabeera khada bazaar me, mange sabki kheer; na kahu se dosti, na kahu se bair.

Then, enacting the roles of myriad characters, the performer highlighted the life and times of the poet.

The reigning theme of religious intolerance and bigotry was spectacularly showcased.

The protagonist's views on propagation and promotion of inter religious and inter racial tolerance are as vital in the current context as in the bygone years.

In the light of the current day happenings in the world, the words ring true that future is nothing but past returning through another gate.

Amidst the narration, at aptly timed intervals, the artist sonorously sung the saint's two-line poems crystallising life's eternal principles and punctuated the commentary with quick-wits to sustain audience interest while communicating the teachings of the great soul at the same time.

While easy going and glitzy pop events bring entertainment, it is very important to host and promote good quality theatre and music for the diaspora.

The play was definitely a beautiful outcome of the blend of the efforts of ace professionals of the East and the West.