On Popular Demand

Three Arts Club will be performing Ramesh Mehta's Bade Aadmi at Shri Ram Centre, 4, Safdar Hashmi Marg, New Delhi [near Mandi House Metro Station] on Thursday, October 30, 2008 from 7:30pm onwards. Entry free. Seats on first come first served basis.

Bade Aadmi @ Shri Ram Centre

Three Arts Club will be performing Ramesh Mehta's Bade Aadmi at Shri Ram Centre, 4, Safdar Hashmi Marg, New Delhi [near Mandi House Metro Station] on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 from 7:30pm onwards.

We're coming to Allahabad

TAC is coming to Allahabad. We will be performing Ramesh Mehta's Bade Aadmi at Northern Central Zone Cultural Centre (NCZCC), 14 CSP Marg, Allahabad on Saturday, August 23, 2008 from 6:30 onwards.

Repeat Performance

Three Cheers for the Amateur

by Keval Arora

Every time a play comes over to Delhi from, say, Bombay, we fall into moaning about the lack of professionalism on the Delhi stage. Productions from elsewhere tend to look slick, on the ball, and cool, regardless of whether these are light comedies or weightier texts. In contrast, the capital’s theatre, with some exceptions, often seems like a little kid in shorts trying to run with the big boys. One reason for this gap in standards could be that much of that city’s theatre – be it in Marathi, Gujarati, Hindi or English – is in the hands of those who do it full-time. Actors, directors and technicians who make a living of this can be expected to deliver time and time again, which is more than can be said of the floating, part-time community that keeps most of Delhi’s theatre ticking over.

Admittedly, this is an age of professionals and specialists. Even super specialists, if you will. Persons who invest great time and effort in studying and mastering their areas of expertise. This is no time for the dabbler and the amateur. For instance, take a look at the idea of worth as enshrined in the media. We are fed with innumerable accounts of a lifetime’s training and concentrated passion, all duly rewarded by the pot that beckons from the end of the rainbow. Part-time loves or temporary interests are rarely celebrated, and then too only when there is a ‘human interest’ spin to the story.

Why should our stories of worth invariably be stories of dedication and expertise? Delving deeper and deeper into narrower areas of interest is perhaps natural to some professions – for instance, medicine, law and so on – because the method of exclusive perusal is intrinsic to the nature of the services they offer. But, when a similar perspective shapes the general opinion of the urban educated towards all things trite and dutiful, then one is no longer sure of its value.

We have, over the years, grown into the habit of expressing appreciation by narrating the number of the years and the quality of single-minded zeal spent in the pursuit of goals. It’s a rule that everyone has followed, praisers and players alike. When, for instance, was the last time you heard someone acknowledge praise with saying how things comes effortlessly to them? Most of us would frown upon such confessions as rude and disparaging if not downright immodest. Privately, we’ve all experienced the huge role that chance and luck have played in our fine achievements. Or, the fact that sometimes things have just fallen into place without any perceptible ‘extra’ on our part. But, in public, we tend to join the herd in assuming that credit is due only when there has been conscious intention and conscientious effort.

Don’t get me wrong: there’s nothing odd about single-minded devotion. After all, where would our classical traditions be were we all to look at such absorption as monomania? My quarrel is not with those who devote a lifetime to perfecting their passion. My quarrel is with lesser mortals like you and me who imagine that this is the only way to be, or that nothing of value can be achieved without a surrender of other interests and cares to the one grand passion.

Whatever happened to the amateur? Hey, what’s wrong with having a casual interest in things? Our cultural pre-disposition to believe that we need to excel at what we do has done more harm than good in the nurturing of curiosity and interest. Or, in the moulding of balanced children, with their heads screwed on right. If you don’t believe me, take a look at the hordes of bustling parents hustling their kids through a course here and a workshop there, in the touchingly misguided conviction that something is worth doing only when we do it well. And, that we do something well mainly when we are trained for it. As a result, we put so much pressure on young children that they either rebel by dismissing all guided activity as a chore or acquiesce by succumbing to a mindset that defines itself through constantly pitting itself in competition against something else.

Yes, you do act better when you are taught the techniques. Or, ride a horse better when someone shows you the ropes. But, unless you want to make acting or horse riding your bread and butter option, you’re better off when left alone to discover the pleasures that these activities can give. And, pleasure rather than excellence is made your primary goal. It does not matter if someone else is ‘better’ at it than you are. What matters is your quality of engagement with your action. That’s when you become an amateur in the original sense of the word: one who does something for the love of it rather than as a means of becoming the king-rat in some rat race. If, in the process, you run the risk of embodying the more common understanding of the word (‘amateur’ in the sense of lacking in experience and competence), then so be it.

The word ‘professional’ is perhaps the villain of the piece, for it has painted the amateur into the corner of incompetence. A professional is not necessarily better than the amateur. Technically speaking, all that separates him from the amateur is that he depends on his craft for providing him an income, while the amateur’s relation to his craft is not a pecuniary one. Remember when our sportsmen turned ‘professional’? Overnight, they began to get paid for showing the same application, or lack of it, on the field. (Today of course, cricketers have demonstrated that they are professional at more things than we dreamed were in their philosophy.)

Sure, the professional usually spends more time on his craft than does the amateur who often also has other things to do. To that extent, the best amongst the professionals tend to be technically more sound, more disciplined, and more organised in approaching work as compared to amateurs. This obviously has its advantages, but there is a negative side to it as well. The professional tends to fall away over a period of time, scoring in precision rather than passion, and dependability rather than ability. When the amateur gets bored, he quits. When the professional gets bored, he falls back on mimicking the things that he once used to do well; in other words, he falls back on technique. In this sense, the amateur’s raw freshness remains an attractive option to the cooked competence of the professional. To return to cricket: there are more cricketers that are professional in England than in any other country, but it is a moot question whether England has a cricket team at all.

I am reminded of a comment that Ebrahim Alkazi, who did so much to establish a professional integrity in our theatre, once made to students of his school, the Living Theatre. For all his commitment to the stage and his passion for performance, Alkazi recommended that his students not enter full-time into the theatre. He argued, paradoxically, that only those with separate sources of income can do justice to their passion for the art. Those who depend on theatre for a living will find themselves compromised at several steps, consenting to accept assignments they never would have looked at otherwise. Professional actors may well bear the marks of success, but it is the amateurs who more often than not keep the flag flying high.

If Delhi’s theatre was at its vibrant best in the seventies, it is particularly because of the quality of its amateur members. Most groups were so populated with young students that these sometimes appeared no different from student theatre groups. And these groups had all the vivacity of a youth theatre. It showed in the kind of scripts chosen, the styles adopted and the general air of adventurism that characterised their projects. Members worked without payment, and they worked hard. Nobody made any money. (If, hallelujah, a production did not end up in the red, the surplus was usually kept aside as seed money for the next.) That helped keep costs down to some extent. Rather, it kept costs down enough for one to look upon these members and their labour of love as the true sponsors of this theatre. The groups were not always politically inclined, but they did not do plays with an eye to the box-office or social acceptability. The media was not then ever waiting, ready to devour or deify. Professional theatre did not then exist, except in some government-supported repertories: the NSD Repertory, the short-lived Puppet Theatre Repertory run by the Shri Ram Centre, and Shiela Bhatia’s group, to name a few. One sign of the absence of the professional actor was that there were few older actors around; the roles of elderly people were invariably played by recognisably young people.

That has all gone. The profile of today’s theatre audience seems to have generally widened even as in actual numbers it may well have shrunk. Plays now have large budgets and groups are therefore less inclined to be bold in their choice of scripts. Things have become more ‘professional’ – expecting to be paid something at least is not an inconceivable or obscene idea – but they have also become more sedate. Students do still come into the theatre, but they now tend to come armed with a curriculum vita waiting to be filled. The amateur is now no longer a state of mind. It is merely a temporary state in the great chain of transformation from the novice to the professional.

An earlier version of this article was first published in FIRST CITY (September 2000)

Back with a bang

The Friday Review, The Hindu, May 16, 2008
NANDINI NAIR

Three Arts Club is all set for a resurrection after its recent festival.

Photos: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar and S. Subramanium

New lease Anuradha Dar

Twenty-five years doesn’t erase an institution. The recent revival of the theatre group Three Arts Club proved that memories outlast time.

Founded in 1943 by theatre enthusiasts, Om Sharma, R.M. Kaul and Devi Chand Kayasth, Three Arts Club enjoyed a vast patronage and a loyal fan following. It disbanded in 1983, following the death of Kaul. Anuradha Dar, Kaul’s daughter, took the initiative to roll out a festival of plays this week under the banner of Three Arts Club, coinciding with his (Kaul’s) 25th death anniversary. Dar was assisted in the initiative by Sangeet Natak Akademi award winner Ramesh Mehta besides Sadhna Bhatnagar and D.C. Pandey.

Sticking to its practice of giving amateurs a stage, the three-day festival, which ended this past Tuesday at Shri Ram Centre, staged plays written by Mehta. The plays included “Paisa Bolta Hai”, performed by Manchkriti, “Under Secretary”, by Akanksha from Lucknow, and “Bade Aadmi” by Three Arts Club, Delhi.

Having performed at venues from Sapru House to the Prime Minister’s house, the Club was watched closely by people like Rajendra Prasad, Jawaharlal Nehru and Zakir Hussain. While in the pre-Independence days it moved between Delhi and Shimla, its roots grew here. It is also credited with putting the first female actor, Saroj Bhargava, on stage.

A reunion

Anuradha has helped revive the famous Three Arts Club, which returned to the stage recently

On the closing day, “Bade Aadmi”, directed by Sadhna Bhatnagar, attracted a full house. The show was dedicated to Ramesh Mehta and the senior citizens of the city’s old age homes, Aradhana and Sandhya. The atmosphere in the hall before the curtains went up resembled a reunion. People with walking canes exchanged hugs and memories. Some rifled through old black and white photos while others narrated anecdotes.

Stealing a moment before the show Dar revealed that it’s not been easy to come back after 25 years. Recalling the plays in the ’70s, she said, “The main difference today is the addition of music.” While adding new effects, they have also retained the older norms. Though “Bade Aadmi” is only 90 minutes long, it has a ten-minute break. Dar said this was to keep with the tradition. Bhatnagar who joined the Club aged 25, took on the director’s mantle with “Bade Aadmi”. Having played the lead role of Indira years earlier, she said after one play reading, all the dialogues came flooding back. She kept the script intact and updated a few details, like the names of the cars, etc. Mercedes replaced Buick in the present script. Though written decades ago, the script continued to have contemporary significance. Bhatnagar explained, “The theme can never be outdated. It shows that we take an artificial culture from the West. But what’s important is to show who we are. That’s why I chose this play.”

With 80 per cent of the actors having never seriously worked in theatre, the play had a refreshing freshness. The winning aspect of the play, however, was Mehta’s script. Without puns or innuendos – it tickled through sparkling clean humour. It lunged from one entertaining twist to another. The audience clapped energetically for dialogues like “Chhota aadmi joota banaye to mochi. Bada aadmi joota banaye to Bata”!

Considering the warm and generous reception, Three Arts Club seemed ready to reclaim its old place.

© Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu

Theatre Festival organized by Three Arts Club at Shri Ram Centre a grand success

Press Release

• Revival of Three Arts Club promises to promote amateurs and Hindustani drama in the city.
  
• Galaxy of eminent theatre personalities wish the club all the best.
  
• Annual ‘Ramesh Mehta Rangmanch Puruskar’ instituted.

New Delhi, May 13, 2008: Curtains went down on the three day theatre festival organized by Three Arts Club which tribute to all artists and members associated with the club here in the capital today. On the occasion of the 25^th Death Anniversary of founder member Shri R. M. Kaul the Three Arts Club stepped on the stage with Ramesh Mehta’s Bade Aadmi after a span of almost a quarter of a century. The play which is a satire on our ‘modern society’ is a story of a family which tries to adopt western culture and lifestyle in order to impress others. Dr. Sadhna Bhatnagar, veteran actress with the Three Arts Club directed this play, majority of the cast of which had ever stepped afoot on stage.

A ‘Ramesh Mehta Rangmanch Puruskar’ for contribution to the field of theatre has been instituted with the help of Shri D. C. Pandey, I. G. Police, Lucknow. A shawl and Rs. 11,000 will be presented to a talented and promoting amateur artist annually.

With this the Three Arts Club is being revived after 25 years by Smt. Anuradha Dar, the daughter of founder member with the help of Shri Ramesh Mehta, Dr. Sadhna Bhatnagar and Shri D.C. Pandey, I.G. Police, Lucknow. The club will continue to work for the promotion of Art and Culture through the medium of music, dance and drama, in particular, Hindustani Drama so that this fine art does not die due to the ravages of the hectic pace of life.

Earlier, on May 11, the theatre festival was inaugurated by reputed writer, actress, director and playwright Ms. Sohaila Kapur. Manchkriti, a theatre group based in Lucknow performed Chaya Mitra’s play adapted by Ramesh Mehta titled ‘Paisa Bolta Hai’, directed by D. C. Pandey/ Gopal Sinha to a full house. Dr. Anuradha Kapur, director National School of Drama and daughter of Late Shri M. N. Kapur, President, Three Arts Club was the chief guest for the second day when Akansha Theatre Arts staged Ramesh Mehta’s popular ‘Under Secretary’, directed by Mr. Puneet Asthana.

The Three Arts Club was an amateur theatre group that was founded in 1943, enthralled and entertained audiences in the capital city of the country for 40 years and is credited with having established the culture of drama in the capital city of the country. Luminaries such as Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Dr. Zakir Hussain, Shri Charan Singh, amongst others, graced its plays. The Club also has the distinction of being the first ones to give a platform to women on the Delhi stage.

The legacy lives on

The Pioneer, Tuesday, May 13, 2008

After 25 years, the Three Arts club is back to revive performing arts at the grassroots level, says Antara Bose

At a time when the country was fighting against the colonial rule to achieve Independence, three of the government employees were determined to take performing arts to a new level.

Just after the year of Quit India movement, the Three Arts club was formed in Shimla by late Om Sharma, late R M Kaul and late Devi Chand Kayasth. The group took theatre from the concept of nautankis to its present form .

The seeds that these people had sown are now again bearing fruits. After 25 years of Kaul's demise, his daughter Anuradha Dar and grandson Aaditya Dar are once again reviving the club . On Sunday, a play Paisa Bolta Hai, originally conceived by the Club, was staged by a group from Lucknow. On the occasion, the Club also honoured Ramesh Mehta for his outstanding support for the cause of theatre. "Pt Jawaharlal Nehru had requested our group to stage a play on rural problems. On November 13, 1954, we performed Hamara Gaon at his residence in front of 1000 people. It was something that was more than we had expected," recalled the 85-year-old Mehta, a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi award.

"Theatre was not considered as a serious profession. People were reluctant to attend shows. Unlike today, auditoriums were not available. Therefore, we used to rehearse and perform it in places like YMCA's Massey Hall and lawns of Modern School, Barakhamba Road. We also used to arrange chairs and sell brochures to earn revenue," added Mehta.

Although the club saw difficult times, it was born mainly to promote amateurs with three types of art-music, dance and theatre and that is how its name came about. The group functioned successfully with 1200 shows of 27 plays for 40 years till Kaul's demise in 1983.

This is also one of the oldest theatre groups that scripted plays for children and pioneered in bringing women on stage. Late Saroj Bhargava was the first woman to perform on the Delhi stage in a play called Bhai in 1948.

Plays like Faisla, Under Secretary, Paisa Bolta Hai are some of the landmark plays that are relevant till date.

The club is always known to promote theatre among amateurs. But will the present generation live up to the level of the legends, especially artistes who may not be able to take time out of their busy schedule?

Said Aaditya, "Time management automatically comes if there is a passion. Those days clerks, hawkers and servants formed the artistes of the group. Now we have medical student, radio jockey, NDMC employee, housewife et al as our artistes. If they do not get time on weekdays, they practice on Sundays."

On Tuesday, the club will perform Bade Aadmi, a play written by Ramesh Mehta in 1966. The play is a satire on our so-called modern society, which believes that in order to become modern, it is necessary to adopt the Western culture and lifestyle.

"Apart from promoting amateurs, the club will also promote Hindi theatre that is losing its importance. We would also be interested in extending activities to schools. The Club has initially survived without government funding but we believe where there is a will, there is a way. Therefore, we will try hard to keep up the legacy," said Aaditya.

One of Delhi’s oldest theatre groups comes alive again

Radhika Bhirani, IANS
New Delhi, May 12 (IANS) They are an eclectic mix - doctors, housewives, bank officials, educationists and college students - all brought together by their love of theatre. The group, consisting of professional and amateur theatre artistes, is to resurrect the Three Arts Club, one of the oldest amateur theatre groups in the capital, after an almost 25-year hiatus.

The club has launched a three-day theatre festival here from May 11. Club members meet after office hours, or on weekends, for rehearsals. The club has been revived by Anuradha Dar, whose father R.M. Kaul was one of its founders. Dar runs a preparatory school here.

“Since my father was always an active theatre artiste, throughout my childhood I used to see people rehearse and act. I always felt that I should do something that he loved too,” Dar told IANS.

She plans to hold the theatre event annually. As part of the event, being held at Kamani Auditorium, the group is staging three plays - “Paisa Bolta Hai”, “Under Secretary” and “Bade Admi”.

“The festival is a tribute to my father as well as to Mr. Ramesh Mehta, who used to direct the plays of the club earlier. What better way to recognise his work?” she said. Ramesh Mehta, 85, was recently conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for acting by President Pratibha Patil.

Saurabh Bhatnagar, a bank official and an actor in “Bade Aadmi”, started dabbling in theatre in 1989 during his college days. He feels theatre was earlier losing its sheen due to television soap operas, but now there is a resurgence in interest.

“I think people are now fed up with soaps and are once again beginning to enjoy stage performances,” he said.

His sister Sadhana Bhatnagar, who acted in the original play directed by Mehta, has directed “Bade Admi”.

Another actor, Govind Swarup Bajpai, an official with the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), has a 30 years’ association with theatre. Bajpai said it was his sheer love of acting that made him part of the new Three Arts Club.

The Three Arts Club was formed in 1943 by Om Sharma, R.M. Kaul and Devi Chand Kayasth. Its plays dealt with current themes affecting the people. Characters like clerks, servants and hawkers - whom one sees in daily life - peopled their plays.

The club successfully functioned for 40 years until Kaul’s death in 1983, compelling theatre actor-director Ramesh Mehta to wind it up

Theatre Festival sets the tone for the revival of the Three Arts Club

Press Release

Ms. Sohaila Kapur inaugurates the festival. Tribute paid to founder member Late Shri R. M. Kaul, actor/director/playwright Shri Ramesh Mehta and veterans of the club.

New Delhi, May 11, 2008: The three-day theatre festival to commemorate the 25^th Death Anniversary of founder member Shri R. M. Kaul and to honour actor/ director/ playwright & recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Shri Ramesh Mehta and artists and members of the group opened to a full house today at Shri Ram Centre.

Manchkriti, a theatre group based in Lucknow, performed Chaya Mitra's play, adapted by Rameh Mehta, tilted 'Paisa Bolta Hai', directed by Mr. D. C. Pandey/ Mr. Gopal Sinha. The play is about a young boy, who comes to the city with the dream to make money. It is only after he wins a lottery that his relatives, who had earlier ill treated him, change their attitude towards him. The play is brilliant take on the hypocrisy rampant in today's society and effectively illustrates the overwhelming value of money in people's lives.

The festival was inaugurated by reputed writer/ actress/ director/ playwright Ms. Sohaila and Shri Ramesh Mehta was the guest of honour for the evening. Token of appreciations were also given to the veteran artists and members associated with the Three Arts Club. On this occasion a 'Ramesh Mehta Rangmanch Puruskar' for contribution to theatre was also instituted with the help of Shri D. C. Pandey. A shawl and Rs. 11,000 will be awarded to a talented and promising artist annually.

With this, the Three Arts Club is being revived by Smt. Anuradha Dar, daughter of the founder member with the help of Shri Ramesh Mehta,Dr. Sadhna Bhatnagar, veteran actor with the group and Shri D. C. Pandey, I. G. Police, Lucknow. The Three Arts Club will continue working for promotion of Art and Culture through the media of dance, music, drama and in particular Hindustani Drama so that this fine art does not die due to the ravages of the hectic pace of life.

Founded in 1943, the Three Arts Club, an amateur theatre group, entertained and enthralled their audience for 40 years is credited with having established the culture of drama in the capital city of the country. Luminaries such as Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Dr. Zakir Hussain, Shri Charan Singh, amongst others, graced its plays. The Club also has the distinction of being the first ones to give a platform to women on the Delhi stage.

For more information contact Aaditya at 9968059805

Return of Three Arts Club

Garima Dimri NDTV

Sunday, May 11, 2008: (New Delhi): The Three Arts Club will perform at the Shri Ram Centre on May 13. They had first come together as a group of amateur theatre actors 65 years ago in 1943. Theatre legend R M Kaul was the founder of this group. They return after having been away from the stage for over two decades.

Anuradha Dhar, daughter of RM Kaul said, "It's a very emotinal moment for me. It's a dream come true and the best thing is that I am able to do this on his 25th death anniversary. I am very happy today. I have been living this moment for ages."

They return with Bade Aadmi, a social satire on the times.

Dr. Sadhana Bhatnagar, Director said, "The play is about people who aspire to be rich so that they can be accepted in teh society. How certain people can stoop to any level to impress the society."

The three-day festival at the Shri Ram Centre will also showcase works of two other theatre groups.

25 years on, pre-Independence theatre club stages a coup

The Sunday Delhi Newsline, Sunday Express, May 11, 2008
Vandana Kalra

New Delhi, May 10: In 1943, when the struggle for independence was at its peak, it was passion for theatre that got three government employees — Om Sharma, R M Kaul and Devi Chand Kayasth — together. With the establishment of the ‘Three Arts Club’, the trio created for a platform to showcase their talent and within a short span of time the group received wide acclaim, giving performances across the country and producing several celebrated plays — including Faisla, Under Secretary, Hamara Gaon and Uljhan.

“Those were the glorious years. Several luminaries used to be in the audience when we performed,” recalls Sadhna Bhatnagar, who joined the club as a 27-year-old actor in 1971. “A lot has changed since then. And with remorse she recalls the abandonment of the group in 1983 with the demise of Kaul: “It marked an end of era.”

Now, 25 years later, the theatre artist is all set to revive the group along with Kaul’s daughter Anuradha Dar. The comeback will be made with a three-day theatre festival, beginning Sunday, at Sri Ram Centre: on the stage will be three of its popular productions Paisa Bolta Hai, Under Secretary and Bade Admi. “We hope to bring back the past glory. The group holds fond memories for theatre enthusiasts from that period,” says Dar, as she oversees rehearsal for the play Bade Admi in a small room in Shankar Market.

Written in the 1960s by Ramesh Mehta, Bhatnagar says the topic is still relevant. “It deals with the changing social order and the tendency to flaunt — and that phenomenon is just as relevant now.”

Apart from minor alterations like change in the name of the car from Impala to Jaguar, the script is largely the same.

The cast, too, has been chosen keeping in mind the club’s original aim — to promote amateur talent. “Professionals have several avenues but the choice is still limited for amateurs,” Dar says. So among others, her troupe includes a doctor, student, homemaker, and a radio jockey. “They are not professional but they are eager to learn and put in their best,” says Bhatnagar, who is directing the production.

“We have to live up to the group’s past,” says Aniket Malhotra, 22, a student who makes his stage debut.

For NDMC employee Govind Bajpai, the group’s revival marks the fulfillment of a long-cherished dream: “I always wanted to be part of a Three Arts Club production.”

Entry to the festival is only by invitation but Dar intends to reach out to the masses soon. “We hope to stage productions across the country,” she asserts.

Three Arts: 65 yrs and ready for the next role

Times of India, Saturday, May 10, 2008

Priya Saxena | TNN

New Delhi: His sharp memory defies his age. Even at 85, Sangeet Natak Akademi winner Ramesh Mehta can vividly recall Jawaharlal Nehru’s request to his group to stage a play on rural problems.

‘‘On November 13, 1954 we performed Hamara Gaon at the PM’s residence before 1,000 people. An amateur group could not have asked for more,’’ says Mehta, who directed the play. Mehta was a key member of Three Arts Club, one of the oldest amateur theatre groups in the Capital. The club, which closed down in the 80s after the untimely demise of co-founder RM Kaul, will be back in action on May 11 with a three-day drama festival at Shri Ram Centre. The last day of the festival coincides with the 25th death anniversary of Kaul.

The club was originally founded in Shimla in 1943 — a year before Prithviraj Kapoor set up his theatre company — but shifted to Delhi a few years later. Om Sharma, Devi Chand Kayasth and RM Kaul were the club’s founding members and they roped in, as the name suggests, amateurs from different walks of life to stage plays. From early 40s to mid 80s, the club with performed hundreds of shows before MPs and bureaucrats, including Nehru and President Rajendra Prasad.

‘‘Before Independence, there wasn’t much of a tradition in theatre. Only the Parsi theatre performed professionally and regularly,’’ recalls Mehta, who directed most of the plays. He adds: ‘‘Initially, we performed either at YMCA’s Massey Hall or at Wavell Theatre near Imperial Hotel. There were little resources. At times, we used to arrange our own chairs.’’

Anuradha Dar, daughter of co-founder Kaul and now main organiser, says it is a matter of pride for an amateur group to survive 40 years without government grants. The club raised money through brochures and sponsored shows. Even National School of Drama director Ebrahim Alkazi in 1968 had praised the club for surviving 25 years without any government fund: ‘‘For a theatre club to celebrate 25 years is something in the nature of a miracle, particularly when that organization has subsisted entirely through its own efforts in the face of overwhelming odds.’’

Back in business a quarter century later

Mail Today, Friday, May 9, 2008
Karanjeet Kaur

It could not have been easy for Ramesh Mehta to be ignored by a media constantly on the look- out for fresh, young faces. Yet, this 85- year- old playwright and actor seems to have no grudges. Mehta was part of the Three Arts Club, formed in pre- Independent India by Late Om Sharma, Late R M Kaul and Late Devi Chand Kayasth and a group of government employees. After an extremely successful run, the club closed down almost a quarter of a century ago and is now being revived by Anuradha Dar, daughter of R M Kaul. Born and brought up in Jammu and Kashmir, Mehta’s first brush with theatre came with a role in Hanuman’s vanar sena at the local Ramlila, as a child. The main attraction was not the chance to act, but the prospect of boondi prasad that was handed out after every performance. After that, it was only as a young rationing inspector that Mehta got a chance to be a part of theatre with the Three Arts Club. While initially content to play a behind- the- scenes role of a prompter, Mehta soon graduated to acting when one of the actors fell ill. With no tradition of Hindi theatre to fall back on, the club realised that it needed a playwright – and Mehta stepped in. His plays dealt with social issues such as the dowry system and corruption. India Today, Dahej, Dastoori and Faisla soon became successful for this reason, and the group even put up a performance for Pandit Nehru. Now, Mehta guides the group’s productions Paisa Bolta Hai, Under Secretary and Bade Admi , that will be staged at the Shri Ram Centre starting May 11. With a new cast and crew, how does he think theatre has changed? Mehta rues the fact that theatre has now become a professional activity – he believes that the amateur form of theatre is the best way to get one’s message across.

How to get invitations?

We've been getting various requests on how to get invitations for the theatre festival. Here's how:

By Post: Email your address to: threeartsclub@gmail.com and the invites will be posted.

By Email: A .pdf file of the invitation can be mailed to you and you may take print outs of the same.

Download: The .pdf file can be downloaded from here

Simple, isn't it? ;-)
If you still have questions, call Aaditya at 09968059805

Kindly note: Each invitation is valid for two and for all three days. Seats are on first come first served basis. Children below 5 years are not allowed. Please be seated by 6:15pm and please switch off your mobiles in the auditorium.

Three Arts Club set for a comeback

The Hindu, Monday, May 05, 2008
Smriti Kak Ramachandran

Formed in 1943, the theatre group performed popular plays in pre-independence era

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The group shuttled between country’s then summer capital Shimla and winter capital Delhi

After Independence it continued working from Delhi and shaped the theatre movement

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NEW DELHI: After a hiatus that lasted 25 long years, Three Arts Club is set for a comeback. Founded in the pre-Independence era, the club introduced the city to the fascinating world of drama and the stage.

It was in 1943 when three theatre enthusiasts Om Sharma, R. M. Kaul and Devi Chand Kayasth came together that Three Arts Club comprising primarily government employees took shape.

Shuttling between the country’s then summer capital, Shimla and winter capital, Delhi, the group engaged audiences with plays that focussed on the lives of people. The family, the clerk, the servant, the hawker—characters that formed society—also found themselves as the subjects of plays.

Women on stage

After Independence, the club continued working from Delhi and shaped the theatre movement. Three Arts Club also performed shows at the then Prime Minister’s house in 1954. And among the audiences were luminaries including Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. Zakir Hussain and Charan Singh. The club, which was known for experimenting with ideas, was also credited with having introduced women on stage. It gave a platform to women to perform under the arc lights.

With successful productions like “Faisla”, “Under Secretary” and “Paisa Bolta Hai”, or the satire “Dhong” forming a part its repertoire, the club is now being revived by Anuradha Dar on the occasion of the 25th death anniversary of her father R.M. Kaul, who was one of the founders.

Joining Ms. Dar in the revival of the club that proposes to extend its activities to educational institutes are Ramesh Mehta, Dr. Sadhana Bhatnagar and D. C. Pandey.

The comeback of Three Arts Club will be marked by a three-day drama festival at Sri Ram Centre on Safdar Hashmi Marg beginning May 11.

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Back in the limelight

Sunday Business Standard Anoothi Vishal / New Delhi May 04, 2008 Sitting in a balcony overlooking frayed, ageing buildings in the middle of Delhi's Shankar Market, a place I had ignorantly believed only stacked reams and reams of fabric, ladies' "suits" and the like, I am all set to witness a rehearsal. This is the office of Bhartiya Natya Sangh, an organisation that I am surprised to find still exists (and functions) in the face of the shiny, "sponsored" spectacles of today. In the May heat, there are no ACs, just two somewhat pokey rooms, barely furnished, let out to people given to theatrics. And practising they are. In a room inside, there's a doctor, a journalist, a homemaker who has trudged here all the way from suburbia, and even someone who would be an RJ in another, alternate world. All of them are rehearsing a play to be performed later this month (at culture-savvy Mandi House) that will signal the relaunch of one of the country's oldest theatre and arts clubs — 25 years after it was disbanded. In 1943, when both Parsi theatre and nautanki, traditionally popular in various centres across British India, were on the decline, the Three Arts Club was formed by a bunch of government officials seeking their own evenings' entertainment away from card games. Their aim was to encourage music, dance and drama — but as it turned out, it was just Hindustani theatre the group got passionately involved with. The club shuttled between Simla, the summer capital, and New Delhi, and its plays reflected the common concerns of middle-class life — the family, clerks, servants and hawkers playing out their parts. With Independence, however, as the officers found their feet in a new, energised capital, the club shifted not just locale but also themes: Nehruvian socialism, perhaps a Partition-induced sense of displacement, the breakdown of class, the emergence of new money and therefore new elite, et al. I say this because I am afforded a glimpse of those times by way of the rehearsal. Bade Admi, the play in progress, will be presented by the new avatar of the Three Arts Club soon. And if you do catch it, you will realise it is not your usual performance. Written by Romesh Mehta (who has been recently conferred with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for acting) several decades ago (it was performed at the Three Arts Club's silver jubilee festival in 1968), the play is to be put up by a newer cast this month but with an unchanged script. In fact, the only things that have been altered is a year mentioned and the name of a car — Jaguar instead of Buick. And as the doctor, RJ, housewife… go over their lines, calling each other by names such as "Kumar", in a Hindustani so different from the SMS lingo we deploy, I am reminded of, well, a Manoj Kumar film! Director Sadhna Bhatnagar, a retired reader at Delhi University and associated with the original club as a young actress, says "the theme of this comedy is still relevant," dealing with a changing social order. Bhatnagar is making a comeback to theatre after 20 years and, in the process, is directing amateurs, 75 per cent of whom have not even seen a play before… because there are TV and films today". Anuradha Dar, a school owner and principal, who has restarted the club with considerable emotional investment — her father R M Kaul was one of the three founding members and its mainstay; the club shut down after his untimely death 25 years ago — recalls the old days. "We used to stay in School Lane (the site of Hotel Intercontinental, The Grand) and I remember all the rehearsals that took place at home and the sets stocked in our store. She shows me photographs and brochures full of nostalgia: Zakir Hussain at a silver jubilee felicitation, messages from Jawaharlal Nehru to Prithviraj Kapoor, and ads of companies that I barely know or remember: Hamdard's Naunehal baby tonic, Jhankar Radios, Burmah-Shell, Escorts (Agents) Private Ltd, but also Coca-Cola — "For Hospitality Serve Coca-Cola" such a long way off from "Thanda Matlab…" Dar says the original club was responsible for putting the first woman on stage, possibly in the entire country but certainly in Delhi, by way of Saroj Bhargava. (Earlier, men would play female parts too.) And besides Sapru House, there were other unusual venues for performances: in the open-air for Members of Parliament, in Army cantonments (the club was invited by General Cariappa), at Red Fort, at the behest of Pandit Nehru, who even asked for something to be specially written to carry his message. That became Mera Gaon. In the times of unabashed consumerism, we are unlikely to see that, though. For now, there's Bade Admi and two others in a festival that the new-yet-old club will be showcasing. May 11: Paisa Bolta Hai, Manchkriti, Lucknow May 12: Under Secretary, Akansha Theatre Arts, Lucknow May 13: Bade Admi, Three Arts Club, Delhi All plays will be staged at Sri Ram Centre, Mandi House, Delhi

3 Day Theatre Festival

The Three Arts Club is being revived and it's first event is a three day Drama Festival on May 11, 12 and 13, 2008 at Shri Ram Centre, Safdar Hashmi Marg, New Delhi [near Mandi House metro station] from 6:30pm onwards as per the schedule given below:

May 11: PAISA BOLTA HAI: Manchkriti, Lucknow
Director: Mr. D.C.Pandey / Mr. Gopal Sinha

May 12: UNDER SECRETARY: Aakansha Theatre Arts, Lucknow
Director: Mr. Puneet Asthana

May 13: BADE ADMI: Three Arts Club, Delhi
Director: Dr. Sadhna Bhatnagar

Entry is free, but by invitation only.
For invitations, write in with your address to: threeartsclub@gmail.com and the invitation card will be posted to you. Each invitation is valid for two and for all three days. Children below 5 years are not allowed. Seats on first come first served basis.
Alternatively, you may call: Aaditya Dar at 9968059805.

About Three Arts Club

The Three Arts Club was an amateur theatre group founded in 1943 by Late Shri Om Sharma, Late Shri R.M.Kaul and Late Shri Devi Chand Kayasth . It comprised of primarily government employees.

The Theatre group shuttled between the summer capital: Simla and winter capital: Delhi. Its plays dealt with themes reflecting the mindset of the people of those times. The family, clerk, servant, hawker, who one saw in daily life, formed the characters of the plays produced by the Three Arts Club.

After Independence, the club worked from Delhi and contributed immensely to the Theatre movement. Three Arts Club presented its shows at the Prime Minister's house in 1954. The shows were graced several times by luminaries like Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Shri Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. Zakir Hussain, Shri Charan Singh, to name a few. Production of Three Arts Club Children's plays by all adult cast was a new and successful experiment and was inaugurated on 11th May 1961 at Sapru House by Late Shri Jawaharlal Nehru.

Working with no theatre auditoriums and in testing times, the Club staged some amazing productions and was the only one to have ticket buying audience, quite an accomplishment in those days.

From the poignancy of "FAISLA" to the realism of "UNDER SECRETARY" and "PAISA BOLTA HAI" or the satire of "DHONG"; from the reformative mood of " HAMARA GAON" and " ROTI AUR BETI" to the classical mood of "AUR BHAGWAN DEKHTA RAHA"; from the farcical mood of "ULJHAN" and "BADE ADMI" to the Children's playful mood in the "THREE PLAYS OF CHILDREN" is a glorious journey that any amateur Club in any part of the world would be well proud of.

The Three Arts Club also had the distinction of bringing on stage female artists for the first time in India. Late Smt. Saroj Bhargava was the first woman artist to perform on the Delhi stage.

It was due to far sightedness of the three founder members that the club functioned successfully for 40 years and contributed greatly to the world of Theatre.

Late Shri M.N.Kapur, Late Shri R.M.Kaul and Shri Ramesh Mehta filled in effectively the need for visionary President, a dynamic & competent General Secretary and a versatile Actor & Director. The excellent camaraderie between the three took the Club to great heights.

It was the untimely death of Shri R.M.Kaul in the year 1983 that compelled Shri Ramesh Mehta to wind up the activities of the club. He felicitated the artists associated with the club and donated the remaining amount to the Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi's National Relief Fund. This again was a rare gesture by an amateur theatre group.

Over Three Art's illustrious history spaning 40 years, it performed over 1200 shows of 27 plays, a record for an amatuer group in North India.

Shri Ramesh Mehta has been recently conferred with Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for acting by the Hon'ble President of India, Smt. Pratibha Patil.

Late Shri R.M.Kaul's daughter Smt. Anuradha Dar, a keen enthusiast in promoting Indian art and culture is reviving the club on the occasion of 25th death anniversary of Late Shri R.M.Kaul popularly known as Raja Kaul in the theatre circle.She is assisted in her endeavour by Shri Ramesh Mehta, Dr. Sadhna Bhatnagar and Shri D.C.Pandey, IG Police Lucknow.

In the light of the current scenario of theatre in the city, the revival of The Three Arts Club assumes even greater significance. The Three Arts Club will continue working for promotion of Art and Culture through the media of dance, drama, music and other art forms. It will strive to work for social causes and to uplift the society. It proposes to extend its activities to educational institutes with the aim of promoting histrionic skills among the new generation so that this fine art does not die a slow death due to the ravages of the hectic pace of life