Legacy of Tanvir

[1]

It was a tribute to the man who gave Indian theatre a new meaning. Author Anjum Katyal made special efforts to release her new book Habib Tanvir: Towards an Inclusive Theatre on the occasion of Tanvir’s 89th birth anniversary.

The author, who has worked with Tanvir in the past, did a vast study of his life and spoke to many people who were associated with him for the book. She says that besides focusing on his theatre, the book also reflects on many other facets of his life.
Anjum says that she wrote the book because she wanted people to know about the legacy that Tanvir has left behind him. “He should be understood and valued, not just remembered,” said the author during the launch.
While she was working on the book people often asked her if it was a biography of Tanvir. “I use to tell them that it’s a study of his theatre, which has a lot of his life in it,” she says.
Besides a study of his popular theatre productions like Agra Bazaar, Charandas Chor and many other stories, the book also details Tanvir’s method of working. Talking about him, Anjum says, “Habib saab stood for something. The way he worked and valued his principles, and the commitment that he showed to a certain way of doing theatre are an equally important aspect of his legacy. He came into the Indian theatre scene when India just became independent. And when the country was searching for its own definition, and for its images and direction in the arts and sculpture scene, Habib saab entered the arena.”
Tanvir believed that one could not have contemporary theatre without the involvement of a majority of people who came from a different tradition — the oral tradition, ones from the rural and tribal areas. “And with a certain commitment he got them involved. His knowledge about them was a vision that changed the theatre scene,” says Anjum and adds that it’s been a wonderful journey for her to work on the book.
“I knew him and respected him as a person, but while working on this book I got to know many more things about him,” she says and adds that the book takes a closer look at his working with the Chhattisgarhi tribe, his treatment of the classics, the involvement of music and dance in his plays and also the political side of Habib that entered his theatre as well.
Nageen Tanvir, the daughter of the eminent thespian, who was also present during the launch, thinks that it was his concentration and focus that made him what he was.
“Terseness and clarity were other special characteristics of his personality. Being a shayar and knowing the economy of words also helped him a lot. What he could not convey through dialogues, he did through songs. He often used to tell me, ‘Nageen, agar mujhe gaane ki taalim milti to main usme bhi naam kama leta’,” she recalls.