Bhavai: a film by G.S Chani

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• published: 11 Apr 2012
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Bhavai Veshas portray people from all classes of society. The barbers and knife-sharpeners, robbers, bangle sellers and social and economic thieves, banjaras, odas, darjis, fakirs and sadhus. There is a Vesha depicting the story of an unsuccessful love affair of a Bania woman and a Muslim Thanedar. At the end of the play Jasma Odan, a Muslim fakir appears to whom people request to revive Jasma. Humor plays a vital part in any Bhavai performance and comes into play even while dealing with mythological personages. This predominance makes Bhavai unique among the traditional arts of India. The chief of the Bhavai troupe is called the Nayak. He first marks the performing arena, then offers kumkum to the oil-torch which is a symbol of goddess Amba and sings prayer songs in her praise. Then enters an actor covering his face with a plate, he is Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. Goddess Kali is the next to enter and after she departs comes the Brahmana. The Vesha actually starts only after these preliminary appearances . The Nayak and the jester always remain on stage and direct the course of action with their commentary and intervention. The story unfolds through songs, dialogues and speeches in prose as well as verse. There is lot of dancing and singing in Bhavai. Female characters are acted by men. The language of Bhavai is a blend of Hindi, Urdu, and Marwari. Veshas were published for the first time in the nineteenth century and performances were linked to their predecessors through practice and the oral tradition. The bhungal is a four feet long copper pipe that provides a strong note and is unique to Bhavai. The bhungals are played during dance sequences and otherwise to indicate important characters. Other musical instruments that Bhavai performances include the pakhawaj (drums), jhanjha (cymbals), the sarangi (a stringed instrument), and the harmonium. The style of music is always Hindustani interspersed with local tunes. Bhavai is also prevalent in Rajasthan as a spectacular folk dance. The Dance form consists of veiled women dancers balancing up to seven or nine brass pitchers as they dance nimbly, pirouetting and then swaying with the soles of their feet perched on the top of a glass or on the edge of the sword. There is a sense of cutting edge suspense and nail biting acts in the dance. In short Bhavai is reflection of our own society.