Operation Vijay 1971, a play concerning the 1971 Indo-Pak battle, was staged not too long ago at Guru Nanak faculty in Velachery.
| Photograph Credit score: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
An professional was as soon as a hobbyist — ask Maj. Gen. M. Indrabalan (retd). In the direction of the tail-end of his profession within the military, theatre started to fascinate him. This fascination was not a lot with the method of theatre as with its influence. The curiosity was not sparked watching a play, however a grand occasion, one which performed out throughout the nation.
In 2021, the nation was celebrating 50 years of the 1971 Indo-Pak battle, with a victory torch going by arms wielding the scepter in all of the states of India. The media saved the flame alive.
When Indrabalan noticed photographs of the victory torch doing a parade of the nation, having been despatched throughout to governors and chief ministers, he instinctively sensed there might be extra to it. The flame of Indian delight might inflame extra hearts, younger hearts, if solely it stayed alive past the information cycle. It was not lengthy earlier than he discovered theatre might try this trick. At the moment, he was serving as Extra Director Normal of the Nationwide Cadet Corps in Bihar.
When the play was staged at Guru Nanak faculty.
| Photograph Credit score:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
“I put collectively a 20-minute road play on the 1971 battle with round 20 NCC cadets as actors. I educated them on the right way to enact the road play on streets. I requested them to go on a cycle tour of the districts of Bihar and in every district head quarters, they must stage the road play on the road. The road play turned fashionable. That’s once I realised that it had a possible to create consciousness concerning the battle among the many plenty,” observes Indrabalan, whose father, late Capt. Ok. Govindan (retd) from 17 Madras Regiment had taken half within the 1971 battle.
He continues: “I bought maintain of a theatre firm , a analysis lasting one full 12 months adopted, and we got here up with a Hindi script. Whereas it took us one 12 months to jot down the script, it took virtually one other one 12 months to stage the play, titled ‘Operation Vijay 1971’ at Patna (in August, 2023).”
Artwork and theatre group Surangan and non-profit, ladies’s empowerment organisation Gulmohar Maitri had been instrumental within the strategy of the play being made and staged.
The play started to journey to different components of the nation, together with Chennai.
It was across the time Indrabalan retired from the military and settled down within the cantonment space on Flagstaff Street in Chennai.
The play now continues to be staged at venues drawing numerous audiences — on March 31, 2024, it was at Guru Nanak School in Velachery and on April 13, 2024 at Officers Coaching Academy in St. Thomas Mount.
An English adaptation of the unique Hindi play, titled “Delivery of Bangladesh”, produced by produced by NCC UDAAN TN and directed by S.B.S. Raman, has come into being.
Indrabalan factors out work to stage the play in Tamil and Malayalam is beneath approach. He provides that the Malayalam model is being produced with the help of A.V. Anoop, managing director of AVA Group of Corporations.
What started as a pastime has now change into a full-time engagement.
