By Rathin Das*
Kolkata: The National Mime Festival organized by the Indian Mime Theatre in Kolkata during the last week of March 2024 was a treat for the eyes and mind as well but not a word was heard. However, the festival wasn’t silent either as music or ambient sound effects embellished the stories narrated through mime, an ancient art form that refuses to die despite gadgets taking over all spheres of modern life.
Though mime as a performing art had existed for long, decades ago it was confined to mainly solo — or, at best, — duet performances of common themes like a pedestrian, a college girl, a thief, a policeman and the like. But this festival was living proof that silent body gestures accompanied by facial expressions can communicate much longer and more serious narratives as well.
Consider these:
During a game of chess, all the characters suddenly come alive, continuously conspire and fight against one another as commanded by their masters till colours of blood oozing out from cuts in the hands of soldiers on both sides make them realize that they belong to the same clan. Soldiers drop their weapons, unite themselves and jointly fight against the exploitative rulers.
A dentist struggles with a patient’s dentures which don’t fit and finally, parts with his own while a family remains in dilemma over the legitimacy or morality of euthanasia for their physically challenged daughter.
A farmer goes on a treasure hunt through a big hole in his field, discovers a huge wealth but can’t find the escape route and finally abandons all to flee back to ploughing.
Such themes have nothing in common, but all these tales were told in detail during the weeklong theatre festival where not a word was spoken.
From solo, merely funny themes to narrating complete meaningful stories, mime has matured into a full-fledged form of theatre on its own strength. That was the impression conveyed by the weeklong mime festival held at the National Mime Institute (NMI), the brain-child of eminent mime artiste Niranjan Goswami, a Padmashree recipient, who took more than two decades to see his dream project through.
Having got the land in north-east Kolkata way back in 1997, he could get NMI completed only in 2015 — albeit with liberal grants from MPs’ Local Area Development (MPLAD) funds released by leaders across the political spectrum.
“The National Mime Institute is probably the only place in Asia that offers a one-year PG Diploma in Mime”, Niranjan Goswami told Global Bihari. He said that solo pantomime’s journey towards full mime theatre started nearly three decades back when his group, the Indian Mime Theatre (IMT) shifted to theme-based performances with multiple players.
Most participants at this festival, hailing from diverse places like Jaipur in Rajasthan to Goalpara in Assam, were one-time students of Niranjan — an aspect that becomes evident when they touch his feet after their performances.
“Taking mime from just solo item to group performance has opened up the scope for experiments with bigger themes and its narration”, said Sabyasachi Dutta who started Jalpaiguri Sristi Mime Theatre after getting trained under Niranjan in 1998.
“Niranjanda had himself introduced character-specific costumes for mime theatre many years ago”, Dutta added. The Jalpaiguri team’s liberal use of coloured lights and dance with ribbons enhanced their narrative to a visual delight.
*Senior journalist
