Indian theatre and incarceration: performing the transition from criminal to civic space

ABSTRACT

This article investigates the impact of arts-based therapies on incarcerated individuals within the Presidency Correctional Home in Kolkata with specific reference to Alokananda Roy’s project ‘Culture Therapy’. This programme for the rehabilitation of incarcerated individuals through the arts is arguably the first of its kind in the Indian context. By employing personal observations, non-structured interviews and performance reviews, this article provides a close reading of Roy’s experimental methodologies and highlights how public performances involving prisoners help to humanise participants and deconstruct mutually exclusive notions of civic and criminal spaces.

KEYWORDS:

• Prisons
• prison arts
• Bengali theatre
• Tagore
• rehabilitation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The prison system in India underwent fundamental changes with the establishment of the Prison Act in 1983. Besides replacing more archaic retributive and coercive rules with rehabilitation and developmental approaches, the term Prison was also changed to ‘Correctional Homes’.

2 An Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) is a three-star ranked police officer in Indian States and Union Territories.

3 In India, an Inspector General of Police (IGP) is an officer from the Indian Police Service. Within a state, an IGP holds the third-highest rank in the hierarchy, just below the rank of Additional Director General of Police.

4 Alokananda Roy is a classical dancer, choreographer, dance educationist, actor and a social worker. Besides her expertise in Indian classical dance, she received a diploma in Rabindra Sangeet (Tagore songs) from Dakshinee academy in Calcutta in 1968 and Diploma in Pianoforte from Trinity College London in 1967. She has formal training in classical ballet from Calcutta School of Music. She is a leading artist of Doordarshan, the Indian television public broadcaster and is considered an iconic figure in Bengal. Her commitment to social causes can be traced in her work with under-privileged children through her organisation Inspiration Foundation and her association with other non-profit organisations like Calcutta Samaritans, Calcutta Social Project and Women’s Interlinked.

5 Alokananda, Roy, interview by Mukherjee and Manna, Kolkata, 4 October, 2019.

6 The name of the inmate has been changed and pseudonym has been used to maintain confidentiality.

7 The term ‘goons’ in Indian context, is a colloquial way of referring to a person associated with anti-social activities. They usually have a muscular structure and are hired to threaten or harm another person.

8 ‘Ghungroos’ also known as ‘ghungru’ or ‘ghungur’ is a musical instrument, worn on the ankle. It is made up small metallic bells, strung together. It is usually worn by Indian classical dancers.

9 Alokananda, Roy, interview by Mukherjee and Manna, Kolkata, 4 October, 2019.

10 The Baul or Bauls are a group of mystic minstrels from the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, comprising Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam’s Barak Valley. They are a heterogeneous sect of people, known for their unconventional and spontaneous mystical verse. Their songs frequently deal with the love between a human and a personal god, who they believe resides within an individual.

11 Chau is a semi-classical Indian dance form which amalgamates martial, tribal and folk traditions. The origin of the dance form is in eastern India. The dance ranges from celebrating martial arts, acrobatics and athletics and is performed in festive and religious occasions

12 Bhangra is a type of traditional dance of the Indian subcontinent, originating in the Majha area of Punjab. The dance is primarily associated with the spring harvest festival

13 Dandia is a socio-religious folk dance, originating in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is usually performed as a custom during the celebration of Navratri.

14 Kalaripayattu (also known as Kalari) is an Indian martial art that originated in Kerala.

15 Kathakali is a major form of classical Indian dance. It is a ‘story play’ genre of art, but one distinguished by the elaborately colourful make-up, costumes and face masks that the traditionally male actor-dancers wear. Kathakali is a Hindu performance art in Kerala in the south-western region of India.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Moupikta Mukherjee

Moupikta Mukherjee is Senior Research Fellow at Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, India. Her interest areas include Art Based interventions and therapies, disability studies and theatre.

Nirban Manna

Nirban Manna is an Assistant Professor at Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, India. His areas of specialisation are Theatre, Performance studies and Bhasha Literature.