Ramchandra Manjhi: The last scion of Bhikhari Thakur’s Naach tradition

Almost the entire state of Bihar is familiar with the name of Bhikhari Thakur, popularly known as the Shakespeare of Bhojpuri, who was an actor, playwright, lyricist, folk singer and dancer—all in one. The Launda Naach, a remarkable art form developed by Bhikhari Thakur, has been taken forward by Ramchandra Manjhi, the 93-year-old octogenarian who was recently awarded the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award of 2017. And what a sweet coincidence, the state recognition and award—both came at a time when the folk masses are celebrating the centenary year of Bhikari Thakur’s folk theatre this year. So, some critics are even saying that this much-coveted award is actually a-long-due felicitation for the untiring quest of the messiah of folk theatre, the late Bhikhari Thakur.

Launda Naach is a prominent folk art comprising songs, dance, comedy, satire, pun, banter, parody and theatre where men impersonate women in performances that last all night. When there was no television, radio or internet, not even cinema, the only means of entertainment for the rural people was Launda Naach, or such forms of folk theatre.

“Basically it’s a narrative art, handed down from generation to generation orally, so little literature exists about Naach that dates back to the 11th century and continues to thrive in the dusty land of the Bhojpur belt—beginning around the Chhath Puja, every year. Each performance is based on caste, gender, migration, plight of the peasants, etc. reflecting social realities of the rural areas”, said Jainendra Kumar Dost , director, Bhikhari Thakur Repertory Training and Research Centre.

Ramchandra Manjhi may be 93 today, but his wrinkled hands still work like magic the moment the Kohl touches his face, the ‘Kaajal’ hits his eyes. With loving precision, he draws his eyebrows with a matchstick, peering into a grimy mirror. “I do my own makeup. I have been doing it for 82 years,” he says, fixing a weary wig. Transforming into a woman on stage every night & again into a male every morning is routine for him –he has perfected the art since he was only 12. His clothes and makeup travel from one performance to another in a rusty steel trunk, one that he shares with his friend and fellow ‘launda’ artists.

Around Dussehra & Diwali every winter, these artists join the troupe when business is in full swing, touring most corners of the country, be it, the site of an animal fair, puja pandal, marriage party, pre-wedding celebrations, or at a private soiree, etc. With great pride, he recalls how during his youth days, he performed before matinee idols like Suraiya, Helen, Waheeda Rahman, Meena Kumari and Naushad, etc. “If we didn’t get news of men falling from rooftops or into wells during our performance, we would be depressed. It meant the night wasn’t a hit,” he told backstage at a performance at JNU last year. “My life is the Naach. But it is like ‘sadhana’ to me. Launda is a dirty word… a ‘gaali’. It was coined by the upper caste people who exhibited their vested gender bender caste sexuality. And see the irony, today they themselves shy away from us. So I basically stick to the term ‘Naach’ as we are Naach performers & it is a matter of pride for us,” added the legendary Ramchandra Manjhi.

Indian theatre has a long history of female impersonation by men. Even Bharat Muni’s Natyashashtra and Mahabhashya mention the term like ‘Roop Anusarini’ (follower of the form/gender). In the feudal Bhojpuri belt, Launda Naach gained momentum in the 19th century when women were not allowed in public spaces. So in the absence of women performers, men, mostly from weaker castes, took their place in such folk performances. It was also an epochal time when dominant landlords and royals were extending patronage to ‘baijis’ (nauch girl) – courtesans- for their entertainment and those poor people who could not afford to watch real nauch girls, took recourse to Launda Naach.

Bhikhari Thakur (1887- 1971) belonged to a weaker caste and championed the cause of poor peasants and toiling masses and their predicament. Today, he is mostly known for his magnum opus ‘Bidesiya’, highlighting some burning social issues like migration of the landless class and their exploitation, addiction, dowry and the condition of women, pangs of separation and sexuality. After his death in 1971, his disciple and prime-collaborator Ramchandra Manjhi carried forward the torch and today, at the fag end of his glorious career, he could boast of such a rich legacy and vast repertoire of Naach Theatre such as Bidesiya, Gabarghichor, Beti Bechawa, etc. And today the greatest relief for him is that, despite all odds, Naach is not a dying art.