Jai Haldankar, an innovative dramatist
By Ramnath Pai Raikar

There have been lengthy debates on whether art emulates life or life follows art, but the discussions have failed to provide any satisfactory answer.Jayendranath alias Jai Haldankar, a product of the drama school run by the Kala Academy, believes in a practical approach. He tries to apply the stage craft to various aspects of human life, to make it more convenient.

Jai used to perform on stage even before he thought of learning the stage craft from the noted institution. He participated in plays performed at village festival as well as those presented at the college level.

After graduating in acting, Jai got an opportunity to visit Jaipur as an assistant to Afsar Hussain, the director of the drama school, where he learnt how to utilise the acting talents of deaf and dumb students. Soon he visited Daman and made similar efforts with the hearing impaired students from the erstwhile Portuguese colony. Jai is now a regular visitor to Daman, holding talent utilisation camps during summer and winter vacations.

He has also conducted ditto workshops for Goan students at Panjim, Pernem and Vasco schools. “Besides, I have interacted with hearing impaired and spastics at the Lokvishwas Pratishthan, Ponda and the Gujarati Samaj School, Margao,” he says.

An important experiment, which Jai carried through his acting is of conducting a yoga and fitness workshop for the prisoners at Aguada jail. “Initially, I was not sure about the outcome of our interaction and hence was petrified. But after 15 days of training, I could see clear change in their behaviour. They had all become very lenient,” he adds.

The skits which I devised with the participation of juvenile delinquents were presented during a programme organised by a non-governmental organisation dealing with the welfare of women and children, Jai informs, further pointing out that they were greatly appreciated by the secretary for health, Ms Rina Ray, who was present for the event.

Jai has also directed a number of plays like Ghashiram Kotwal, King Oedipus, Pakshi, Choice is yours and Bhagvya Maaticha Manus. Most of these productions won top prizes at the drama competitions held by the Kala Academy and the Gomant Vidya Niketan.

“In fact, Ghashiram Kotwal was widely appreciated for its novel presentation style which was totally different from the one presented by the celebrity director, Jabbar Patel and generally followed all over,” he says.

Apart from this, Jai has written on yoga, through a Sunday column of a local English daily, for two years.