Patna, Jan. 6: Independent analysis of contemporary events is crucial in theatre, where artistes are no longer aware of the ways they can influence society.

This was the opinion of most artistes who attended a seminar, People’s Movement and Theatre of Bihar, at Gandhi Sangrahalaya today. The seminar was organised by Patna-based theatre group Prerna as part of its ongoing event “Safdar 2012”.

Only 20 artistes turned up at the venue to discuss the present condition of the theatre world.

Tanvir Akhtar Khan, general secretary, Indian People’s Theatre Association, Patna, said: “The situation of theatre is critical today. A theatre artiste is supposed to give an edge to people’s movements through his/ her play but today, the artistes are not in the habit of analysing political events. If they can’t understand the situation, how can they create awareness about the political imbalances through their performance?”

Javed Akhtar Khan, a Patna-based theatre artiste, said members of the theatre community today are influenced by the media and don’t apply their own intellect to understand an event.

“The theatre culture grew in India as a result of revolution. At its time of inception, the artistes were the think tanks of society. They used to scrutinise an event and then present their act on the basis of their observation. But today, the media has taken over the minds of theatre artistes. They no longer analyse an event themselves. There is a need to change this trend,” said Khan.