Return of the Bayalaatas

07-14-2005, 02:27 PM

Return of the Bayalaatas

G S Bhat traces the spurt and decline of the free-show troupes, or
Bayalaatas in Yakshagana through the years.

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There is a hint of impending monsoon in the air. It is time for the
Bayalaatas (free-show troupes) who staged performances day and night
in places, stretching from the coast to the Malenad region to shut
shop, albeit temporarily.

Setting out in November after gauging the consistency of the rains
and returning to base by May-end is a tradition among these troupes.
The troupes however, stage shows at the patron temples (seveyaata)
for example, Dharmasthala Mela, Idugunji Mela etc, both at the time
of beginning the tour and at its end. The artistes, staff and workers
are paid their dues by the Yajamaana (owner) and everybody returns
home. Thus ends the annual tour of that year.

About five-six decades ago there was no system called the tent-troupe
system in this form of dance-drama. In fact, the Moodalapaya type of
Yakshagana still does not have this system. Instead, free open-air
shows known as Bayalaatas were staged. Rich men, landlords and others
used to get the troupes to perform; the Bayalaatas used to stage
shows wherever required.

The main artiste or Bhagavatha used to head the troupe. Spectators
made their own seating arrangements and used to watch the performance
which began late in the night till the crack of dawn. A sense of
satisfaction used to pervade the whole set-up– the artistes, the
patrons, the audience et al.

Amidst this system emerged the tent-troupe (dere melas) system. An
owner-cum-organiser came into being in place of the main actor
managing the whole troupe. An attitude of investing money and reaping
returns replaced the traditional way. The actor-oriented theatre
transformed into a material-oriented theatre, requiring investment of
lakhs of rupees. A huge tent, elevated stage, easy chairs, lights and
sound system, generator, car, tempo, lorries– all became vital to the
new system. The demand for workers and actors increased. Yakshagana
became an industry.

The tent-troupes began hiring open spaces in different towns and
obtained license to perform during six months in summer. Performances
were widely publicised and the audience was charged for each show.
The Yakshagana had found its market; local contractors who supplied
the essentials started making profits. The `70s and `80s of the last
century came to be known as the golden period of these troupes.

Several changes and legacies accompanied this period. More than 10
camps were born one after the other. This created an illusion that
organising tent-troupes was far more profitable than any other
enterprise; so much so that the tent-troupe system appeared to be the
only remedy for all the ills that ailed the system. People did not
heed the words of caution about the excessive commercialisation of
the medium.

This state did not last for long. The 90's heralded the decline of
the tent-troupe system. There were more camps than there were
spectators. The `industry' had to face an artificial scarcity of
artistes and performers. The tent-troupes were reduced to stage shows
in the same places year after year. The performances did not witness
territorial expansion. Organisation and co-ordination attracted huge
investment. The artistes' salary became expensive. And the actors
failed to enthuse the discerning, leading to a dip in `box-office'
collections.

Gimmicks unheard of and untenable to theatre (pertaining to
Yakshagana) made their presence felt. The troupes began imitating
cinema, plays and circuses in antics and the artistes themselves grew
more confused in their goals.

The audience's taste became adulterated. Commercialisation became the
bane of the art. Traditional artistes gradually faded away. People
who wanted to enjoy Yakshagana in its purest form were now left
bereft. There was general apprehension that the tent-troupe system
had finally met its end. Many such tents closed down permanently and
artistes had to struggle for their daily existence. There were talks
on adapting experimental theatre for the sake of pure enthusiasts.
Suggestions on restricting the show duration from all-night
performances began gaining ground. Commercialisation, the tradition
of Yakshagana theatre and individual creativity could not be
balanced. The chasm between the tent-troupe system and
experimentation widened. The tours of these tent-troupes in the first
half of this decade, however brought out certain characteristics.

Gaining lost ground

Earlier, the free show troupes (Bayalaatas) which enjoyed audience
attention prior to the advent of the tent-troupe, had started
declining even as the tent-troupes became stronger. The patronage of
rich landlords and temples were no longer available. But now, when
the situation was reversed, they began gaining their old glory to
some extent.

A single owner started to run not less than four free shows
simultaneously. These free shows also became material-oriented.

Excepting the tents and charging the audience, the rest of the
equipment, property and make-up was deemed as necessary by these
troupes too. Important tent troupes converted into free-show troupes.
There emerged a commercial aspect to this system; organisers began
investing and reaping handsome returns from the free show troupes.
Sponsors who could spend more than the tent troupes began showing
interest on these free show troupes.

The quality of performance became similar to that of the tent-
troupes; gimmicks associated with the latter slowly gained entry into
the former. Most importantly, the audience got to see performances
free. Today, these free-show troupes have become a parallel force to
the tent-troupes.

In the meantime, artistes who had lost demand and people who intended
to have revised performances began building their own small troupes.
Such troupes began performing frequently all through the year in
halls booked for the purpose. A few of them roped in popular artistes
and staged shows for weeks together, based on popular episodes. These
weekly and fortnight shows can be described as the
resurrection/rejuvenation of the Mokkam system (camping at a
particular place for days together) which was in vogue before the
advent of tent-troupe system. Subjects of mythological and non-
mythological nature began to be extensively used. However the
Idugunji mela alone adhered to staging shows featuring only episodes
based on mythology, of fixed duration.

The rest adapted to both the forms. The tent-troupes committed
themselves to staging new episodes of all-night duration as they
realised that to remain in contention, new episodes which were
necessarily non-mythological and full of comedy had to be staged.

Episode writers who could write on these subjects were also
discovered. To cite an example, during the last touring season, the
staging of Eshawara Parameshwari by Sri Guruprasadita Yakshagana
Mandali broke the record of previous box-office collections and made
up for the losses incurred in two years. The tent-troupe staged three
shows at the same place in front of a houseful audience. This
incident enabled the organisers, artistes, workers and the audience
who were without a definite goal and direction to find their
bearings. Preparations are on for this year's touring season with
this experience in the background. The months between June and
October are used for extensive preparation. Then in November after
the rains have stopped, both the tent and free show troupe begin
their annual journey towards finding satisfaction in terms of
creativity and money.

Amidst all these activities, Yakshagana Kala Ranga, a voluntary
organisation based in Udupi has taken up the task of providing some
relief to the unorganised, hapless actors who are ultimately the
worst affected of any change in fortune. It has formulated programmes
and projects wherein the actors' health, residence, their children's
education, life insurance and other aspects are taken care of.

Translated by B S Srivani

The organisation also helps in getting these artistes passes at
concessional rates for bus travel. Not only this, it has also
formulated a code of conduct to the artistes, ushering in a sense of
professionalism among them.

Translated by B S Srivani

It can be safely assumed that these measures not only drive away the
feeling of insecurity amongst the artistes, it also boosts their
performance.

Another aspect of this action is that the burden on the owner has
lessened to some extent. The public are being given a chance to
participate in the effort to safeguard the interests of their beloved
artistes. There is a strong possibility that these measures will lead
to a marked improvement in the quality of performances by both
Bayalaatas and dere melas.

Translated by B S Srivani