Kultar’s Mime – A Voice to Experience.

I love watching, working, reading, in a nutshell, I love anything that has to do with theater. It brings me close to stories, characters, perceptions and ideas that are dared to be lived/relived. Storytelling is an art, mastered by many, but felt by few. I’m no judge or critic but, the writer/ director of Kultar’s Mime knows how to feel the unfelt. You would not know till the end, how the details are related, and how the director’s vision in characters would grow. The told/untold stories of 1984 Delhi Riots are gravely horrifying. And for someone like me who have just read about this mind bending political massacre, would not even have a slightest of idea what the people, particularly the Sikh Community, went through during those madman’s days. Hence, came Kultar’s Mime, the plot just said, based on 1984 riots.

With no expectation I came to see the performance. We were introduced to the artistic depiction of story, or shall I say the poem on which the play is based on, with a backdrop of 8 penetrating paintings. And then was mesmerized by the soulful performances of such poignant performers. The riots, though were politically triggered but, were against one religious group in particular. And hence to reach a wider audience the director has skillfully endured the human element from every performer. The poem Kultar’s Mime, drew upon eyewitness accounts of Delhi massacre, is a true story of four children who faced the 1984 riots head on, and till now faces its aftermath. The portrayal of each character was fumingly heartfelt. I sincerely thank the writer of the poem, and of course the writer - director of this play Sarbpreet Singh for bringing such painfully violent event, in such a creative way.

The prologue and one of the scenes of the play was drawn from Hayim Nahman Bialik’s poem ‘In the City of Slaughter’. Which fore played a similar account of barbaric eruption against the Jewish population is the small city of Kishinev (Russia) in 1906.

These are just four stories that melted our hearts, and stunned our core. There are countless back then, and there are millions now. I don’t know who has to come down from heaven to fix us, but I know if I do one thing right a day I make a difference. And hence can everybody.

As an audience, I’m grateful to Sikh Research Institute for promoting Kultar’s Mime, which has been performed in 3 continents and various countries. And Enacte Arts www.enacte.org for bringing fabulous Theater to life and to us. Kultar’s Mime is on the road, for their upcoming shows go to https://sikhri.org/ and mark your calender.