Eklavya-the tribal archer

Hi, if you had any glimpses of my blogs then by this time, you must have realized that I’m good at drama.

Seriously, this is no offence on me. Somewhere, deep inside me, there lives a great screen play writer. I believe that every moment spent by any creature in this world, is an art in its own sense. Somebody wins, somebody looses. Somebody lives, somebody dies, but everything is a beauty for a beholder. You feel to cry, see a mother whose son is on front, if you feel to laugh, see a sister fighting to her brother for her book, if you feel to lament of loosing something, then see an old man, still carrying load on his back(he lost his youth and power). If you feel to be excited, see father of his first child on delivery day. So every moment is precious and extraordinary.

Why I’m talking like this today? Answer is simple I’m going to share again something with you.

Will you accept it?   

So let’s go back to my school days again. See there, I’m on my hero puch and about to reach school. Today is fifth September, teachers day in India. There is a big celebration today as every class is giving or doing something special for their.so dear, teachers. As I was from second shift, I was no fancy guy. But I fall for someone and my instincts as artist, are polished by now. I was a revolutionary thinker.  Let me introduce some of the characteristics of my classroom twelfth B. there is legacy, since past three years, we have captured the stage as just anything. We brought too much attraction at stage that no class was able to.  We were rare species and were on extinction. My idea was to make extinction a non-forgettable affair.

It’s not that I was making real efforts, but there were hell lots of people were trying the same. But they were way away from the idea what is actually non-forgettable. May be a strip tease in our play can do it. Or may be some movie thing, but it was done. No reiteration please. Or if we have a real fight on stage after forgetting the track and asking that “it was my line”. Or why not we ask some celebrity to come and join us on stage.

For Leo , the simple thing was, enact an extract from a Pakistani play Bakra-Kisto-Mein. It did not attract my any artistic urges. It was quite difficult to even imagine how it will look on stage. But it was initiative from Leo, so energy and people were on high. And also nobody had guts to deny the idea.

Confession time, wow man I have to do it, sorry brother, but I never found Leo’s sense of art and presentation, any good. I was not able to say in front of him, I accept I m a coward as not been able to speak in front of him. Biggest reason for it was his closeness to her highness. He had power to kill me anytime. I used to think that if said anything or if I will hurt him, her highness will never like. And come on, I love her so I can’t see her against me. One more truth, I actually shared my deepest secrets with Leo so I should say somewhere I trusted him and felt as a hindi movie goes, this guy will find how much I crave her and ready to do for her (did so much). That he will help me in her case. Man I relied on him like my own brother. I never took anything against him, by just anyone.

So , as in my childhood days, I had this story of Eklavya the tribal archer. I was mesmerized by the persona of Eklavya. He was the underdog and a hero. He was a self made man and still was ready to give all he had to his teacher. Man after Karna, he was the best archer of the world and Arjun came after him. But he was not destined to do greatness; still he put a huge mark on people all these ages. It was a real question to be asked at teachers day that why teacher’s pet is always most remembered guy in school whereas the people who are not able to impress teacher,don't get what they deserve. 

My brain was ready with the idea. But my ways were not allowing me to tell all this to Leo. Man it would have been a disaster if that idea would have reached him. Definitely he would have felt I’m trying to kill his idea. I was scared and nervous to put in front of anyone but Mr.Cool. He is very good in listening, and he listens attentively.

Actually Leo’s idea bombed very badly on the day, just  before celebration, no actor who can deliver such kind precise slapstick and timing that people will laugh. Dialogues were too strong to be spoken in front of students and also on a day like that. Come on, have some damn logics. But everybody was confused now. What will happen to the chronology?  Twelfth B has got nothing good this time. 

The school was over and I was reciting some of the William Shakespeare’s prose on her highness, while leaving the auditorium. And I knew she was getting me, but girl’s old ways act as if she haven’t listened at all. I was in another mood that day. Somewhere unknowingly I was thanking God. As just few days before that, I cried in front of god and asked for any opportunity to prove myself. And that day I got it.

That day evening I went Mr.Cool’s house with my script ready and asked him for suggestions. He was not much bothered about the whole fiasco, so very Cool. He was attracted to idea and asked me to keep up the good work. But while returning I felt may be tomorrow some other fellow will come and put his idea. I was just an ordinary guy an miracle happens with extra ordinary people.

Back to the present day, now I have parked the bike in parking and I’m walking with a trot, man I’m excited. I’m normal clothes today. Here I m on the road, just next great football field. it's a good weather day. It’s day no sweat, no chill. Winters are not far and you can see that as air is mirthful. The grass in field is green as just now rainy season was over and uneven weed also has covered all over the scenery. Now I’m at basketball court, my shrine, I should be on it at least once in a day, or I’ll miss happiness in the day. It is just a perfect day.

Just now I entered in the New building campus, there is chaos all over. But my destination is not this place. I reached my classroom, walking all way from the corridor of seniors. I met few fellows there; Goblin is busy in making arrangements. I also joined him, I ‘m also a Prefect. We asked students to enter Audi in a mannered way. Ask them to sit, and behave properly. After all this I found Mr.Cool, we were together now returning back to class room. We are joined by another fellow, his name is Mangu. He brought a very good Kurta, draped on him. He is looking so good. Everybody in my class is present on this day, but spread all over the school, doing their duties. I ask Mr.Cool to help me in this play; I wanted to filter my script more sharply, so that can be performed in fifteen minute of time period. He took the responsibility. I was now little ignited by inner self. I felt do or die. I ran to Audi again, found whoever was there and told my idea, majority of them were so unaware that no emotions from their side. 

That time feelings in me were dead, seriously. i was not bothered about others and their feelings, which if you see from my point of view were great plus point. Actually i'm a man with small, mentality ussue, i think about about others before thinking about myn ownself and also if they really cared about my job. But luckily this was the time when i actually felt nothing. I was prepared with the script , idea and now left to dissolve this cocktail in the brains of these men , rather actors. I started explaining them inside the classroom, i felt like a dictator, every thing i would say, will be a law. but truly speaking when you act like one, you are empty at heart and execution of brain and lips were mechnically. 

I understood the situation that first requireemnt was  men, rather actors. As they were not ample. So i found i have to be on the stage. I started declaring each persons identity and at last i found i was missing with Eklavya. He should have been someone real, in my sense. And those days feelings about life was really gruesome. Recently i had found that i was not good with many things which were kinda important to life. Also as teachers had their favourite names on their tongue. i was a lost identity. Another addition to the fact was i was in love and her highness gave a damn to me. All  these were a great inflammable mixture, may be equivalent to Ammonium Nitride. 

So, i discussed my matter with Mr.Cool, he told me as you know the dialogues and track of the play. You should in maximum time on the stage as you can save people who are not well rehersed. That was a fact , no doubt, actually some people had roles of walking in crowd, no dialogues.I asked for general consensus, at this point my feelings were mixed one. Suddenly the vacuum was filled with feelings. am i really a deserving candidate to be a protagonist of a play.

This can yield severe criticism, if bombed. is there anyone who wants to do this role, after listening. Man i was stressed, but my dear friend Mr.Respectful Indian said, come on you  can do  it and then the whole bunch. 

Things were clear, no suddenly an idea came to me. i wanted costumes and props to be there in play. but arrangement was risky. So idea was to make the play as professional as possible, we asked Goblin to make sounds of different things, especailly the DOG's barking. \

Now i visualize the play for three seconds and i got my answer. Question was if we are a group of international theatre artists, then how we will be acting? How we will look? and Answers suddenly occupied my whole brain. It was Kurtas and Pajams, normal make up, actaully no facy affair.

I was satisfied by the idea, but no came the answer how can we get these many of them. Answer was impossible. 

Then second option was in vests and half naked. i guess to me it was respectful. not because girls can get their piece of entertainment. but as we all will be uniform looking and i have seen big theatre artists performing like that. My decision was firm, we all went half draped on the stage.

Now clutter of thoughts has been cleared and i was not bothered about anything. 

The time came, we were annouced, and slowly , from the backstage we took our places, 

First scene was Drona in the Jungles with his disciples. They had a dog and loyal one. The dog kept encircling them and alerting them. 

Drona talks about all Panduvas which was kind of introduction to every character, who filled the stage. Also only one Kaurava, as we didn't have actors. There were prasies about every Panduva and highlighted praising for Arjuna were he gets the promise of making the best archer in the world.

Second Scene was only a decision to go deeper into the jungle and see the nature.

Third scene introduces a tribal archer , who is praying an Idol and seeks wishes from the teacher. He is not introducued with lavishly big lines but humble one. he was man of integrity.At the end he starts practising his archery.

Fourth and Final scene, is where the braves comes near to the archer's practicing place and there the dog starts barking. By the way dog was the only constant sounding (barking ) thing. It suddenly stops and the mob gets distracted , the dog returns to the drona and he founds out, that somebody had filled dogs mouth with arrows. And its been done so skillfully that the dog is alive .

Drona gets disturbed and asks for the identity of the archer. Answer come in humbe way that he is son of tribal clan and an archer, entitled as Eklavya. that make dorna engrossed into the thinking that how come  there is a teacher better thann him.  He asks for the identity fo the teacher, Till now the eklavya, who actually drew nearer, was in front of the braves. As eklavya never learnt anything from Drona, was atonished by the surprise visit. Drona asks about his teacher, his answer was simple you are the only one. Best teacher in the world.

His atonishment was multipled by thousand, drona face was in deep thoughts. he asked how come you learnt from me, i never taught you. He said i made an idol of mud and always kept you in front in my thoughts and all good were rained upon me. i showed the idol, for all the students of Drona, it was a time of confusion. How can one can learn with a mud idol in front of him. 

But the greatest effect came on the ARjun, he was promised somewhere but this tribal kid was better than him, the control over arrow was way head of him. 

This time of happiness as Eklavya thougt cannot be compared to anything happened to him ever before.But same time was a dreadfull time for Arjuna as an archer.

This was real situation of the world somebodies happiness is somebodies is grief.

So, Drona thought of the situation and asked Eklavya, you still believe i'm your teacher. The answer was very obvious, Yes, and he siad that. Then Drona asked if you have the blodd of real tribal warriors in your viens and your have the courage of a ferocious Lion, then give my Fees. 

Sudden, surprise inboth the sides. Eklavya was swelled with the proud, he hails  from a small tribe and in his whole tribe nobady had ever given something to a Person as great a Drona. 

Answer was simple you wish my noble teacher, i will do anything to repay the honour you have given my by asking.

That moment was treacherous air was blowing and time was cunning, so even the greatest of greatest was affected. Drona asked for the right hand thumb of Eklavya as that was the most precious part of human body , if you are an archer, that right thumb actually holds the bow and give direction to the arrow. Drona dissappointed humanity by doing so. He alone cann't be blamed , it all in the fate.  

This was the time, when sky became darker and wind blew harder, Eklavya gave no second thought to it and took the newly sharpened arrow and the motion was bloody.

Second moment Eklavya, was on his knees , presenting the thumb to his teachers.

That was scene where accorfding to me audience should stand and applaud , but it did nt happened. But still i knew there were waves for it.

Man, what a feeling after that play. i proved myself. I had dreams of been distinguished by the terachers and also by the students, it was respect taking event. 

BUt i was wrong, people thought that i dea was brought by Mr.Current. as he was a famous for. 

all the teachers gave him, the credits in the class room , and i was just always watching him humbly accepting the gratitude.

It was feeling as I'm foxed by somebody.