Homes to community spaces for performance art: Here's how this theatremaker is bringing artistes together in Mumbai

Shruthi Veena Vishwanath (second from left) performs abhangs at a previous Ghargatta gathering

We are leading increasingly individualistic and lonely lives in the city," says theatremaker Tanvi Shah. We can't deny it. This writer, like many others, has possibly seen the inside of an Internet influencer's home on Instagram more often than their next door neighbour's. Shah's two new initiatives under an upcoming theatre company aim to bridge the gap by transforming rooftops and living rooms into stages. The first few sessions of Unplugged Mehfil - a safe space for musicians from varying disciplines to unwind, and Ghargatta - a home performance series, have already paved the way.

The recently concluded inaugural sessions at Shah's Vile Parle pad could've easily been mistaken for a musical instrument expo of sorts. Picture this - musician Neil Khopkar's Appalachian dulcimer playing in tandem with a forgotten age-old folk song from Karnataka sung by Gulbarga-based researcher and singer Shilpa Mudbi. Or harpist Nush Lewis' plucks reverberating alongside a rendition of Sahir Ludhianvi's poetry. Among these peculiar sounds, there's another percussion instrument that is telling its own story - a musician is gently tapping away on Shah's grandmother's old wooden cot - a family heirloom - to keep rhythm.

(From left) Neil Khopkar plays the Appalachian dulcimer; Shilpa Mudbi sings a folk song from Karnataka; Ria Modak (on guitar) and Meera Desai (on harmonium) at a previous Unplugged Mehfil gathering in Vile Parle

Khopkar, who grew up under the tutelage of veteran classical vocalist Neela Bhagwat in Dadar's Shivaji Park, isn't a stranger to the concept of baithaks or private performances in homes. "What's different here, however, is the kind of feedback you receive. Classical baithak audiences can be passive at times - they'll tell you how much they enjoyed the performance, and that's about it. But when your audience comprises musicians from across disciplines, there are new ideas, unexpected collaborations and technical learnings that you take home," he shares. To ensure these nuances aren't lost in the pursuit of scaling up, Shah invites 20 musicians from the registrations she receives every month to be a part of the gathering.

The theatremaker has a way of reimagining the traditional baithaks too. What was once considered a gathering only for patrons who understood the deep nuances of classical music, needs a dose of democratisation, Shah believes. At one of the first Ghargatta gatherings last weekend that was open to attendance by non-artistes, vocalist Shruthi Veena Vishwanath performed poetry written by 13th century female poets of the Warkari (or Varkari) movement such as Janabai and Muktabai. "Many of our audience members had never listened to an abhanga before, let alone these rare ones written by women. These kinds of performances find it hard to find a stage in Mumbai where real estate and stage time both come with a hefty price tag," she reasons.

Tanvi Shah

Shah's efforts to convince Mumbaikars to open their homes to strangers might sound like a shot in the dark to many. But the theatremaker has already started receiving queries about hosting these gatherings from across the city and its suburbs. "I have had my share of big fancy productions as a theatremaker. The goal now is to build an alternate performance culture in the city's homes with monthly programming," she shares. The upcoming theatre company, she reveals to us, will be called Jaan. "It's an endearing title you'll hear only in the unmatched comfort and warmth of a home. Hopefully, it hasn't faded so far from memory that we can't help people remember it," she signs off.

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