When kids talked about life...

Interesting Package

Children have this amazing capability of tackling the most complicated themes with a simplicity that gives a fresh perspective to old beaten down issues.

The kids of Head Start  Educational Academy, in a fascinating experiment, brought together three plays, ‘Waterlines’, ‘Amnesia’ and ‘Lets Dig In’ at the National Gallery of Modern Art recently, which tackled sensitive issues in such profound simplicity that many in the audience were awestruck by the questions they posed at the end of each play.

‘Waterlines’, the first of the plays, an adaptation of  Sadat Hasan Manto's short story Tetwal Ka Kutta highlighted the impact of the greatest trajedy of Indian independence-partition. The play, divided into small scenes interspersed with video clippings, aimed at highlighting the sentiments about partition by a generation which was witness to it and youngsters, who were distant from it.

Scenes such as a mother and daughter frantically finishing off last minute packing amidst riots during Partition, as they are left wondering why their neighbours have taken up arms against them, left a lasting impression on the audience.

Kids dressed as soldiers from the Indian and Pakistani front, sitting atop a snow-capped mountain, sending messages to each other with the aid of a dog, that was presumed to be a spy, was a sarcastic take on the present situation. The ending, however, was the most profound, the dog was spared and the weapons confiscated from both sides highlighting the need to end the paranoia surrounding the Indo-Pak situation and embracing peaceful means of tackling the situation.

Abhishek Majumdar, one of the facilitators of the play, on the process says, “The concept came out of the kids, as many of them had moved quite a few times and had to get used to the change in surroundings. It began with us asking them questions as to how they would get in touch with their friends when they moved away and gradually increased the difficulty of staying in touch.” ‘Amnesia’, the second play, told the story of a boy who stole memories of a brighter student to develop a sense of belonging in his troubled school life.

However, during the course of the play he realises it is best to be oneself and stealing memories is not the solution to tackle insecurities.

‘Lets Dig In’, the last play, was about questions and the attempt by  students to look for something special in the ordinary. It  was a fascinating journey of the students, who ask seemingly simple yet profound questions that left many in the audience contemplating.