Jatra or opera shows are one of the biggest mediums of entertainment not only in the countryside but also in urban pockets of Odisha. However, recently this folk art form has been in the news for all the wrong reasons.
The famous religious and cultural fair Khandagiri Mela organised in Bhubaneswar is known as the Jatra Mahakumbh, as many opera groups participate and enthrall the audience. But this year one of the shows has stirred up controversy with police complaints being lodged against excessive skin show by an actress during a melody programme that is held ahead of the main play. So much so, that the police had to remain present at the show Monday night to prevent obscenity. Meanwhile, some people have now demanded the arrest of the actor as well as the owner of the Jatra party and sought constitution of a censor board to prevent such display of female anatomy. Orissa POST spoke to some youths about the controversy and whether there is a need to censor the Jatra, one of the oldest folk art forms of the state.
Tapas Rout, a young filmmaker who frequently watches these shows, strongly believes that there should be censorship as Jatras are seen by families at many places. But he did not want to blame the actor for the recent controversy. She was just a performer who was obliged to do what she was asked to by the organisers to meet the demand of the audiences, Tapas said.
“Most of the ticket buyers of these shows are youngsters but they hardly watch the main play of the programme. I have observed that they leave the show once the melody programme is over saying they have recovered the value of their tickets. When people want to watch such item numbers, the Jatra party owners are left with no option but to bring in some bold artistes to entertain the viewers. So, why blame the actor,” he asked.
Giving some insight into the current trend in Jatras, he said that earlier people came to watch a five-hour-long play preceded by a melody programme lasting a few minutes. But these days, the melody programme, often with a generous dose of skin show, takes up the major chunk of the show, going on for over two hours while limiting the main play to a couple of hours. So, it is not the viewers alone, but the Jatra party owners also who must be blamed for promoting the unhealthy culture, he added.
Actor and cinema director Kailash Mohapatra said, “Yes there is a need to regulate the amount of vulgarity in Jatras. A censor board decides whether a movie is to be viewed by adults only, all audiences or under parental guidance. A similar panel should be constituted to check the vulgarity in opera shows. I have directed and acted in many theatrical shows and I always make sure that decency standards are maintained.”
There is no dearth of good actors in the Odisha Jatra industry who can hold the audience spellbound with their acting skill, he said. A little bit of entertainment at the beginning of the show is okay. But the actors who don’t hesitate to cross the boundaries of decency on the pretext of audience demands should realise that many watch these shows with their families, cautioned Kailash.
“The content of Jatras these days is not suitable family viewing. They only promote vulgarity in the name of entertainment,” said Smita Panda, the principal of a city children’s school.
“It is not only the raunchy dance by skimpily attired girls before the play, even the dialogues by the actors and the gestures they use in the play are not acceptable. This can spoil the psyche of the young generation. It is better to remain backward rather than promote obscenity in the name of modernity,” she added.
BIJAY MANDAL, OP