The declining number of audience for Yakshagana is a topic of debate. I think Yakshagana will suffer in the future not for want of audience but artistes. It is extremely difficult to attract talent to professional Yakshagana.Average youngsters today have hundreds of better opportunities. So who will want to lose sleep and lead a nomad's life for six months in a year being part of a professional Yakshagana troupe. Sheni Gopalakrishna Bhat wrote in his autobiography:
'Yakshagana survives because many of us were ready to sacrifice life's comforts for our love of the art. Life is hard for yakshagana artistes. These days (he was referring 50s and 60s of the last century) even a daily wager earns more than what a popular Yakshagana artiste can earn.'
In fact Yakshagana grew because there were talented people in those days whose love for the art was above their love for a good life and their own family. Such commitment cannot be and should not be expected from today's generation.
A report in Deccan Herald last week says the famous and the only tenkutittu yakshagana training centre at Dharamasthala will remain closed this year because there are no students.
The report quotes the centre's director as saying:
'In the beginning (1972) we had 25 students. Later the number declined to 15. This year we received 14 applications. Later, there was no positive response from any of them'
Nothing surprising. This was bound to happen. That it found students all these years is surprising indeed.
So, professional troupes in all likelihood will soon become part of history. Even the existing temple troupes will find it difficult to find artistes. The future of Yakshagana will lie in the hands of amateurs - just as the theatre today.
2 comments:
nice article, gatty sir..
Many of today's mELas do not perform whole-night shows anymore, many more (including famous dharmasthaLa mELa) are planning to adopt 'kaala mithi yakshagana (generally 6pm to 10 pm or so) soon. Lack of audience after midnight is another reason for this. So artists need not lose their sleep anymore. but they need to travel, one cant help it.
Coming to yakshagana artists' earning, yes, they used to earn very less and used to lead tough life earlier. But, according to me, times have changed. Many of the top notch artists are earning considerably good money these days. But, to establish themselves as 'good artists', they will have to put in lot of efforts and they need to have passion towards the art, which unfortunately is a very rare commodity today :(
This is shocking! I had no idea things were developping in that direction! I just wonder whether it is only a tenku problem. As far as I know, the Udupi Yakshagana Kendra has more students than ever this year, and all of last year's batch are staying for a second year to improve their technique. I also have not heard about big melas like Dharmasthala planning to scale down from all-night performances. Yakshagana would not be the same…
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