Arts are feared by the powers that be, says veteran theatre artiste Sanjna Kapoor

They forever pose questions and provoke answers. So, the challenge is how do arts stay independent of the powers that be, of politicians, bureaucrats, corporates and their agendas?” asks theatre person Sanjna Kapoor, who was recently conferred with the prestigious The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by the French government for her outstanding contribution to the field of theatre.

Stressing that arts are like education, and if education were to truly achieve its aim of creating young adults who are critical thinkers, with discerning approaches and questioning minds, then most people in positions of power would fear such youth, she tells, “Thus, the arts are slightly feared by the powers that be.”

Talking about the recent honour conferred by the French government, Kapoor says it is always a happy occasion to know one’s work is acknowledged and celebrated. “It feels like a pat on one’s back of encouragement that energises one and enables one to continue towards realising one’s dream. Especially, in a climate like in India, that has no support or infrastructure towards seeding arts across our urban landscapes.”

Kapoor, who ran the Prithvi theatre in Mumbai from 1993 to 2012, making it a vibrant cultural space and co-founded the theatre group Junoon along with Sameera Iyengar feels that they are at an important juncture in the life of Junoon. “Several factors, some of our own making and some beyond our control have forced us to pause and relook at our plans, and to strategically move ahead. The next few months will be critical in allowing us to envisage the next four years of the group’s life. We plan in four-year bursts, as we were born on a leap day eight years ago i.e. Feb 29, 2012.”

Insisting that far too long, India has worked with systems of patronage towards the arts, and it is now time to change this decadent and obsolete approach, she feels that the arts rarely need handouts or sops from the state. “What they need are for the ground to be nurtured that will sustainably seed their work, and embed it into the daily lives of our society, wherein the value of the arts will be recognised, understood and celebrated.”