Ninasam at 75: Many milestones, many challenges

Ninasam, the 75-year-old theatre institute based in the village of Heggodu, Karnataka, has pulled off many remarkable feats, and is now at the crossroads, according to a study by M S Sriram, professor at Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.

In a scholarly article titled ‘Ninasam: Perform or Perish, That is the Question’, published in Harvard Business Publishing forum, Sriram has examined how passion for theatre can transform and sensitise a community.  

In an email interview, Sriram, whose short collection has won critical acclaim, sums up his observations on Karnataka’s preeminent theatre institution.

How does Ninasam remain relevant even after 75 years?

Ninasam has reinvented itself. They have taken initiatives and expanded/contracted activities. They respond to the ecosystem. I guess that they also sense changes and pick that up to shape their thinking, though it is not explicit. If they are not relevant, they would have been long dead. Ninasam is not an organisation that has had financial endowments to sustain periods of lethargy. Therefore if they are not relevant, they cannot raise funding. In their model they just immediately become irrelevant.

What do you think about Ninasam’s vision today?

In my honest opinion, Ninasam never had a “grand” vision. It has been navigating the space of culture based on the resources available and opportunities opening up. In that sense it is an organisation that can expand and contract easily depending on credible financial resources made available. In simple terms it engages with the issues of art and culture, with emphasis on performing arts.

Where does Ninasam stand today? Does it remain as just a cultural hub?

I would not call it a cultural hub, which can grow into something like a branded thought process like the Frankfurt School, or in economics the Chicago School. In that sense there is no Ninasam school of thought. It is a centre that engages with the culture. It opens up to the public at large about three-four times a year — the culture festival; Subbanna Memorial lecture; theatre festival of the graduating students. Rest of the time it is a usual Malnad village, with the theatre institute training students and staging an occasional play. When the events are not happening, it is a private and introspective institution.

What is the role of Ninasam in Karnataka’s theatre movement?

Ninasam’s role has been very significant, but in a very understated way. While in the 70s, theatre groups like Samudaya and Benaka had iconic and vibrant figures like Karanth (BV) and Karnad, the hallmark of Ninasam has been consistency without flamboyance. Therefore, even when the theatre movement in Karnataka has seen peaks and ebbs around personalities, Ninasam continues to run with a low profile, regularity and consistency.

Ninasam graduates have grown the theatre scene by branching off to set up other theatre schools, direct plays and act. Some have dropped out completely. But Ninasam’s presence and consistency cannot be negated in Karnataka’s theatre scene. Have they triggered a big debate and had a Ninasam way of doing? No and yes. They have not questioned any status quo ante, but they themselves have consistently pushed the envelope. They, as Akshara said, are a “contextual” organisation adapting to the ecosystem, rather than a “conceptual” organisation, which has an argument and a theory of theatre to start with. They are also adaptable. About 20-30 students graduate from their school each year. It’s the biggest contribution to the ecosystem, apart from the fantastic plays they put up. 

Has Ninasam become a platform for the elite now? 

It is important to understand what “elite” means in the context of Ninasam. From the beginning it was about getting good, modern and sophisticated literature and performing arts to the village — Shakespearean plays, classic cinema and literature. The speakers and resource persons of Ninasam’s film appreciation course have always been what can be termed as “elite”. However, the consumers have not significantly changed. The students continue to be from the lower middle class background; the participants in the culture course (now conversations with arts) continue to be from moffusil colleges; the proceedings are in Kannada (and when in English are translated to Kannada). The audience for the plays continue to be people from surrounding villages.

What are the challenges of running a cultural organisation with limited economic resources?

The biggest challenge is uncertainty about where the next tranche of funding will come from. But Ninasam as an agile organisation has over the years learnt to expand and contract its activities based on the financial resources. Therefore it is an organisation that has mastered the art of living in poverty, with islands of largesse occasionally.