Ashesh Malla sits in the centre of Sarwanam Theatre‘s studio, surrounded by 15 students. The veteran teacher urges the students to give their best effort if they want to create a great play. Having been a teacher for over four decades, he knows that unless they are pushed hard, the final output will not reach its full potential.
Malla does not remember when he got involved in theatrical art. He believes it was transferred to him by his ancestors who were part of many plays in Bhaktapur before relocating to Dhankuta in eastern Nepal following the unification campaign led by King Prithvi Narayan Shah.
While Dhankuta differed from Bhaktapur in cultural and traditional terms, Malla’s family remained engaged in theatrical performances. And as a child, he wholeheartedly embraced this artistic pursuit and has never turned back since.
Now, Malla wants to do very little. As he has already achieved his dreams of establishing his own theatre and nurturing talented actors for the industry. Now, he just wants to watch the scene grow as he takes the back seat and spends time with young and aspiring actors.
Throwback
Ashesh Malla’s professional theatre career only began in 1976 when he came to Kathmandu in his twenties for higher studies. But Malla’s passion for staging plays overshadowed his interest in academic studies, and he found Kathmandu to be an ideal place to pursue his theatrical aspirations. Since then, he has observed numerous transformations within the Nepali theatre landscape.
His first breakthrough came with a political production Sadak Dekhee Sadak Samma in 1979. The play gained immense popularity, prompting Sajha Publication to transform it into a published book. Following this success, he wrote Nataak Haruko Natak, a work that shed light on the challenges faced by theatre directors in staging a play in Kathmandu at the time.
“Nepal was under the Panchayat system and staging a play was a tough thing both financially and politically,” says Malla.
Malla encountered various obstacles with his dramas due to their political content, including censorship and interruptions imposed by authorities. He recalls a specific incident that took place in the auditorium hall of Tribhuvan University.
“We staged a drama that was a satire to a political leader, ” he says, “A group of supporters of the king unexpectedly attacked me and my friend, Bimal Koirala.”
However, this did not stop them from staging plays in the future.
Three days after the release of his play Murdabadma Utheka Haatharu, Nepali law enforcement banned it, frustrating Malla. This incident resulted in him facing repeated encounters with law enforcement due to his involvement in theatre productions. It was during this period that Malla realised the significance of having dynamic and thriving theatre groups in the country. In response to this, he took the initiative to establish Sarwanam Theatre in 1981.
Current scene
Despite the challenges faced during those difficult times, the experienced sexagenarian playwright and theatre director now finds contentment with the current state of the theatre scene in Nepal. According to him, the Nepali theatre landscape has made remarkable progress and advancements.
“The next generation has taken the theatre to another height. I appreciate their effort. The new generation has a strong sense of content and presentation skills,” Malla says, “Theatre culture did not exist before, but now it is gradually improving. The footfall in theatre is also increasing.”
According to Malla, the progressing theatre scene in Nepal has one significant issue: its focus is primarily centred around Kathmandu. Theatres located outside Kathmandu are unfortunately neglected and in a state of disrepair.
Ashesh Malla emphasises that for the comprehensive development of the theatre in the country, it is crucial for the government to establish at least one theatre in every district. Without such infrastructure, the growth of theatre cannot reach its full potential, he believes.
“The government’s lack of apathy towards the theatre scene is disappointing,” he says.
According to Malla, although the government has a budget allocated for the arts sector, he notes that the funds are often directed towards mobilising political cadres rather than supporting the theatre scene.
“It is commendable that despite lack of government support, the theatre scene is thriving especially in Kathmandu,” says Malla.
To foster the continued growth of Nepali theatres, Malla encourages theatre practitioners to prioritise local ideas and culture. He believes theatre can serve as an excellent medium to promote these aspects not just in Nepal, but even globally.
“Nepali plays should effectively showcase and highlight these elements to truly reflect the essence of the country,” says Malla.
Malla draws attention to the example of Eric Valli, a French filmmaker who came to Nepal and directed the movie Caravan, which depicted the lives of salt traders in the Himalayan region.
“If he can come and make a film on Nepalis and get an Oscar nomination, why can’t we create plays that highlight local Nepali stories,” he says.
Malla has answers for that too and identifies two primary reasons why Nepali theatres struggle to bring local stories to the stage.
Firstly, he highlights the lack of knowledge as a significant barrier. Many theatre practitioners do not poses a deep understanding of issues and cultural nuances. Secondly, he points out the issue of insufficient research which is necessary to stage a good play.
Malla says theatre practitioners also frequently face a shortage of financial resources to invest in research. This is primarily because a significant portion of their funds is allocated towards managing their team and acquiring essential resources for production.
“With a limited budget, we have a lot of constraints,” he said.
Recently, Ashesh Malla visited different parts of the country and found many local stories and cultures that he believes deserve to be promoted through theatre. But he is frustrated that the government does not show any interest in promoting these stories.
“If the government were to provide assistance and support, it could significantly contribute to overcoming the financial issues and further promote the development of theatre in Nepal,” he says.
Vibrant stage scene
Despite the government’s apathy and numerous challenges, Malla emphasises that the theatre scene has become vibrant. This can be attributed to the increasing participation of individuals from diverse educational backgrounds, including medicine, law and engineering who are eager to learn and contribute to the scene.
Malla also acknowledges the positive impact technology has had on the theatre scene. He believes the new generation of theatre practitioners has greatly benefited from these advancements, as they now have the ability to instantly share their works with audiences worldwide. Theatre practitioners are not the only ones who have benefitted, the actors too have the opportunity to showcase their talent on a global scale through the help of social media.
But he is concerned as not many continue to in the field despite all the opportunities that technology has brought into the scene.
“To be successful in arts the artist but give continuity and have strong desire and determination. Due to our social structure, which seeks immediate results the new generation lacks patience,” he says.
But achieving results in the art sector, particularly in theatre, requires a considerable investment of time and patience. A lack of social security measures within the industry also significantly contributes to the discontinuity experienced by theatre practitioners.
“If you do not have an alternate income source it has hard to continue in this field.”
