Expressed!

The year that was! WeMove in 2012 peaked to glory with shows from 5 different productions and 2 different languages. 2012 was when we completed our 50th show on stage! as we looked back at all those 49 steps that we took. 2012 was when we premiered our first short movie and introduced WeMove Digital to the external world. 2012 was the year when a strong internal team was built to manage different operations of WeMove thus making us the first theatre group in India to have a separate business wing. 

As we stop for a while and look back at the glorious moments, year 2012 was definitely one of the most successful year for WeMove. With a total of 22 shows and 4 theatre workshops, we have come a long way both in terms of our own productions and corporate shows. Here it is a glimpse of WeMove 2012

WeMove @ 50
February
A moment to remember, We clocked our 50th show, the joy was unbelievable, it was a pride moment for all of us at WeMove as we showcased our finest and probably the first major successful production Malgudi daze on stage, the one play which thought us to stick together and pull of things together no matter what goes wrong! A moment to remember when theatre legend A.S Murthy who later in the year rested in peace inaugurated our 50th show. In his typical style he sat on the lonely chair on stage and voiced his opinion about a Theatre group clocking a 50th show is like a baby growing up to become a teenager  WeMove was then a teenager, the responsibility raised one level high. Malgudi daze  was considered to be the most loved play by all sections of audience who came to watch.

Mirror and Short and Sweet
March
It was for the first time that the theatre world saw a strong and crisp script describing body image issues. One of its kind experiment, WeMove Theatre challenged itself in producing a play which made people look back at this society and it beliefs. Mirror was premiered in March, much before the premier, a part of Mirror was showcased at Short and Sweet theatre festival, the short part of the play not only won the hearts of the many people who witnessed the show but also won WeMove "The best Independent Theatre group award"


WeMove at Hyderabad
April
It is safe to be at one's own den, WeMove got out of the den and traveled to Hyderabad for a Malgudi Daze show, the audience at Hyderabad were all set for a memorable event where WeMove performed back to back, probably the biggest challenge of the year 2012 wad to reach the people of Hyderabad, we had done it effectively with our back to back shows being a full house. 
Later in April, we staged Mirror Mirror yet again for the Bangalore audience.


Namma Metro, Namma Roots
June
Namma Metro is one of the most loved plays of all time by people and WeMove brought back the play and all the golden memories attached with it in june at a venue where WeMove staged its first play 5 years back, it was a very emotional moment when the "Lightsman" of Yavanica was honored by WeMove for being the first step in WeMove's theatre lighting history. Namma Metro on June 2nd not only brought audience back but took WeMove to a new level with new actors setting a new dimension in "Improvisational acting"

WeMove Digital, A new beginning
June
WeShortz Theatre festival, one of its kind unique short film festival was organised by WeMove as a part of WeMove Digital's formal inauguration, 10 short films were selected using audience poll and these 10 films were in-turn screened, the short film festival also marked the raise of new film makers and also a new platform for them to showcase their talent. WeShortz was WeMove's first no theatre event as well.

Indo German Theatre Festival
June
Indo German festival marked its new beginning in bangalore this year by having an unique collaborative art festival called "Indo German festival" WeMove theatre was the only theatre group to have performed at this festival in a very uniquely built temporary auditorium at Palace grounds, it was for the first time that the concept of "itheatre" conceived and developed by WeMove was taken out in public only to win back more of people's love, applause and confidence.









WeMove @ GE
June
The biggest success story scripted by WeMove business team is to take WeMove into those areas where theatre was considered as 'outdated'. The first of its major corporate performance for year 2012 was in corporate company General electric, we performed mirror thus amazing 100 odd employees of GE. This resulted into a much deeper association with GE.

WeMove @ Mantri Developers
June
Continuing the success story, WeMove theatre performed a corporate show at Mantri developers thus making theatre reachable to all.





Houseful it was! @ Rangashankara
August
One of the most memorable shows of the year 2012 was the back to back Namma Metro shows at Rangashankara on August 14th and August 15th. The August 15th show forced the management to put up a "House full" board in front of the auditorium. People from tumkur attended the show by travelling at their own cost, Namma Metro set a new record making it as the most successful play of WeMove till date. It was at Rangashankara show where the concept of WeMove Theatre photography was revived yet again! WeMove digital got itself some two of the most talented photographers thus making "theatre photography" as a new art.

Theatre, a new craze!
August
WeMove performed yet another corporate show at SSGA financial company as a part of their company celebrations thus making theatre a new craze in the company.

AM I?
October & November
Continuing the stint with GE, WeMove became the medium to spread awareness among the employees of GE about breast cancer. WeMove's AM I play received a standing ovation at GE which talked about breast cancer and the ways to avoid it, it was first corporate performance which was made to order by WeMove.





And that's a Premier
November
P.S I don't love you, a brand new play was premiered in November after almost 6 months of hard rehearsals. PS was the first ROMCOM of WeMove, the play witnessed a houseful of audience even when the climate lost its control on that day in bangalore. PS also marked highest number of debutante actors stepping on stage, PS brought in a whole new generation of WeMove actors. It was this play that brought in some of the most innovative concept of play marketing.




The Return of Humor!
December
Nannavala Kagada was yet again staged in Mysore this time, probably the biggest risk taken in the year 2012 as the play was not welcomes nicely in Mysore when it was staged the last time. NNK was modified, remodeled and redesigned to suite the Mysore audience, NNK Mysore also brought back the most innovative experience for the audience 





Learn the WeMove way!
WeMove also spread its wings to innovate new things in learning using Theatre as a medium. One of its kind was the workshop which WeMove conducted in the Rastrothan Parishad school for under privileged kids. 

Street Theatre!
WeMove supported Jaaga initiative to make bangalore a cleaner place to live by performing a street play at Malleshwaram Bus depot attracting the on goers and making them realize how environment can be protected.

A year filled with ups, learning, downs, faith, inventions, year 2012 is milestone in WeMove's history. WeMove Resources, WeMove Digital, WeMove Business, WeMove Nritya, WeMove Productions, WeMove Merchandise, so many dreams unleashed, millions of smiles spread. 
We heard them all, We made them laugh, We understood their views, We traveled to them, We instituted faith in them and more over We became a part of their life. As we stand on the brink of a year which thought us to be together, live together, party together, celebrate together, work together, dream together and pursue art together, the meaning of "We" in "WeMove" is seeming more concrete and logical today.

From all of us at WeMove, We thank you for the year you all gave us, The year that was, WeMove 2012.



- Written and contributed by Abhishek Iyengar & Rangaraj Bhatracharya




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On the brink of what could be our biggest effort to take theatre to common man, WeMove's new play "P.S I dont love you's" music tracks are ready for release. It took me approximately 8 years of struggle to find trend and fashion into theatre songs. On a lousy afternoon several years ago with no much experience I wrote a play non stop for next 2 days called "Hi, ASL?" A play which never saw the light of any stage, that was when I decided that we needed quality music in theatre. 

WeMove has its own shade of musicians and we have our own experience with music directors, many of them can be regarded as "funny". I can still remember my initial days of director with a person with his huge keyboard and semi professional knowledge he was trying to create tunes, what was then convinced to me as "Music" I was depressed not because the play flopped but my dream of that perfect music was defeated. My search continued, years later when we set out to do "Malgudi days" as a stage play, people laughed more so because of the fact that we could never recreate the magic of L.Vaidynathan. "I know a person" screamed a person before he introduced me to Vasu Dixit. On a sunny afternoon when we were rehearsing for malgudi in Ravindra kalakshetra in bangalore, vasu introduced me to a sleek, shy guy, I remember vasu uttering "Abhishek meet Abhishek" the dud dude in me was confused, while the other one smiled stretching out his hands front. 
"Hi, Abhishek Narain...."
"Oh!" I smiled realizing finally...
Abhishek Narain was there to play guitar for the eternal WeMove tune of Malgudi
"I Hope I can do the justice.." he smiled at me...
He sat there in one corner observing the play with his guitar on his lap, I thought he was this cool dude with a cool instrument in his hand! that day before we could wrap up the rehearsals Narain played the Malgudi tune on his guitar, 2 acoustic guitars, one amazing voice and history in making, I could not believe that my imagination of theatre music was finally taking shape, I was smiling that whole day, perhaps I could term the reason for my smile as "Satisfaction" 
Malgudi daze was first premiered in Seva Sadana, I still remember Abhishek panting in a hurry, he thought he was late for the show! it was just 3 o clock then, Vasu could not make it for the first show but I still remember vasu telling me "Narain is there, you have to shed your tension" 
Of course I was tensed, with my previous directorial venture flopping miserably and what was then regarded as madness to make Malgudi on stage, the last thing I wanted was fresh people whom I haven't known much to play the music, after all music was considered to be the only savior if the play went bad. As the play began and when the those first strings of guitar were plucked, people in the hall gave a standing ovation, that wiped a lot of sweat. "huff!" I sighed.
Abhishek Played to perfection and from there started a journey which in many case is still regarded as a dream! Show after show, Mysore- Chennai-Pune-Hyderbad-Bangalore, Malgudi travlled across India and so was Abhishek's Guitar. Each show there was a improvisation, each show was fresh, the music never seemed old to me, 20 shows later even today I feel the same excitement when I hear Abhishek playing the Malgudi tune.

Back in 2010, riding on the success of Malgudi, We did a play called "Namma Metro" The play was in Kannada, by then Abhishek was the man for any kind of instruments, musicals I meant! he was our guitarist come what may happen, it was time again when I went in search of music director, this time to create the magic in kannada. We were once rehearsing in HN Kalakshetra of bangalore for our play Namma Metro when one of the short film director Abhijith Mahesh dragged me and played a kannada song. Excited by the song I guessed instantly that Abhijit had himself written the song, after a few words of praises and discussions I returned to rehearsals but stopped instantly to ask "Who was the music director?"
Abhijith replied "Our Abhishek Narain"
I was bumped! "But This is Kannada.." I exclaimed...
"He is a genius.." Abhijit replied..
I kept on thinking that whole night.. about the music for Namma Metro, the next day I met Abhishek at my rehearsals at ravindra Kalashetra.. I did not hesitate further.. and uttered
"Narain, is it possible to direct music for Namma Metro..?" before he could answer I interrupted further "Your Music for the short film was just awesome!"
"Thank you! pleasure is mine and of course I will direct the music.." he replied in his very polished English!
"But the play is in Kannada.." I exclaimed
"Music does not have language...Sir.." he replied smiling at me
Perhaps I realised that day that if one man could get me near to the kind of theatre music I dreamt of, then it is Abhishek Narain.
Two weeks later Abhishek Narain gave me a rough track of Namma Metro's first track, coupled with abhijit's amazing lyrics, Abhishek told me "I have done this piece but not sure if you like it..." I requested him to mail me the tracks so that I could listen peacefully, that night I rushed home only to download his rough tracks and listen to them. The next day I called Abhishek and addressed him as "Sir" probably that was the only way I could give his due respect for his work. He smiled yet again and told me "Its just a small piece..I hope this justifies your play.." I was on cloud nine by then! the previous day I had heard all of Abhishek Narain's songs some of them which were part of a CULT following in my college days. 
From the start of my theatre journey I always experienced Live music, though a great fan of live performance, for me exploiting the technology in theatre was something that was missing. Songs of good quality can be recorded and mixed with live performance thus providing the audience an ultimate experience. It was then when I went to Abhishek and asked him if we can digitally record all of Namma Metro songs instead of a live performance, instantly he replied "Indeed! we will record the tracks"
When Namma Metro was recently staged at Ranga Shankara Abhishek had shared his one time desire to listen to his own songs on a RS platform. Yet again I felt happy that day this time for the music we had created. 
Abhishek Narain then went to direct music for two more productions of WeMove, Mirror and Nannavala Kagada setting up a new trend in theatre music.

As I pen this article listening to his tracks for my most ambitious play "P.S I Dont love you.." I feel that my biggest dream of creating a new revolution in theatre music has finally seen its light.
As Abhishek Narain Tracks end on my ipod; automatically the scuffle plays tracks of A.R Rahman, without much thinking or explanation I would like to believe myself that it is a symbolic representation of something big in future.  


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Cauvery! the name resonates as "riots/bundh/violence" in every one's mind, more so to the fact that in early 1990's Cauvery issue was a larger than life controversy. Today times are different though politics has its own hold on the issue from past 30 years. 

Being born and brought up in the twin cities of Bangalore & Mysore, Cauvery for me was just not a river but a symbolic representation of struggle, back in 1990's when we used to live in Rajajinagar, a area which housed large number of Kannada and tamil population,Cauvery riots were part of our lives! I have seen glasses shattering, bikes being doused, people being threatened and more so people being thrown from their own houses. Back then bunds were more serious, people invariably were part of it even though they dint want to, Situation demanded, with no cable television or any form of sustaining entertainment, people vented out to show their frustration, their anger, their belief sometimes not even knowing the cause for which they are fighting out. 
I was part of one such incident invariably, probably I could say one of the very dark days of my life, the year was 1995 when the neighboring state's demand for more Cauvery water raised, it was then the Central Government of India had formed the formal "Cauvery water distribution panel" before the verdict was out there were protest and then there were riots. 
Being grown up in a local neighborhood my love for Kannada was indefensible, I loved every aspect of the language, while I was nourishing my brain to gain more maturity on my craziness, there was a call out for volunteers one fine afternoon in the neighboring cricket field "We want youngsters, youth blood to fight for our cause...we need people to join us in the protest march, we will get our water..." the call outs were impressive so were the people who organised themselves to influence all the youngsters, instantly we friends decided to join the protest march, after all it is our water and we want it, the slogan was fresh in our minds, the date was set and a very powerful leader of those days was set to flag the march. The march was simple walk from Rajajinagar to Rajbhavan (Which was then a deserted place, for me) and then there was a rally right in front of the rajbhavan, ofcourse traffic was just another word in dictionary then! things were cooler and calmer!
I promised myself to shout till my last decibel could be heard, the day was set and the perfect lie at home was hatched out! things did not look complicated!
A simple T shirt, chappals with few books and pens and a torn bag plus few other friends who believed the cause set out for the common meeting point. There were people and more people, there were hundreds, hundreds turned into thousands and thousands into many thousands, considering the fact that "Infy" was still a start up then, the population of bangalore was not something we could boast of. Of course we were lost in the crowd but then the sense of fear started creeping up, right at the entrance we were asked to collect the magnificent "Yellow, Red striped cloths" we had to use our creativity to wear, some made it as a flag, while some of them tied it as a head band, other's creativity was not something worth of expressing in words. Time started to tick as the thousands awaited the grand entry of the man, the political leader who was supposed to flag the march. Scorching sun reached its new peak as the sweat glands started to work more, the first sight of the man was seen, waving his hands out of a newly bought "Contessa Car" the scene was pictorially good and the march was finally flagged.
Slogans started, voices were raised, young people were asked to dance (of course we were included in the so called request). With only one aim of "getting back water" people put their lives into the march, with no concept of "bottled water" then, people in the march were served water by the residents who then considered to be as seva, of course I am talking of days when "ethics" was spelt correctly to some extent.
Everything was perfect only till 2 kilometers and then started the most glorious act of "Stone pelting", suddenly there was a new adrenalin rush among the thousands to throw anything they get in their hand, no one had an idea, their motive was to destroy. Glasses were shattered, shops were attacked anti-language slogans were shouted. Suddenly the orders came from no where to burn anything that comes to hand and there went fumes high! That was the day I learnt that tyres could be used for other purposes. Lost in the direction of belief and riots, the young minds in us started developing a sense of fear. It was ugly and so was the situation but the real belief was burnt along with those tyres. No one knew the reason nor the reason for the march, suddenly things started to seem so artificial and manipulated, along with those glasses our hearts too were shattered, people were hurt and there was blood every where, not knowing what to do and quite far from our houses we were strangled between fear and belief. Just then a tall dark looking gentlemen pulled us aside, "shh! stay here..." he pushed us into a what looked like a half open tailor shop, "Why the hell did you join these guys?" he screamed at us..we sat there confused, battling for the lost confidence in the system. Things weren't just about water, things now had gone beyond water. 
The dark man gave us some bread pieces and asked us to leave once the mob passes through the whole road. Tired and afraid we started to run looking for a new meaning of belief without even turning once back! 
As we reached home, with our sense knowledge shattered we promised not to venture out to anything similar. 

It was next day when the fear in us took a new turn when we learnt that the small tailoring shop was burnt to ashes in riots. Things were not just about the water!

-Abhishek Iyengar







  
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It was something that was completely restricted to college, a form of performance which I would call "Improvisation"; history dates back to as early as 1900's where western marketing companies introduced a new concept called "ad-mad" where actors were hired to degrade their competitor's products. It was a general practice to perform such short acts in front of the town market and as advertising matured to print and electronic media, the form of performance took a new shape, which is now fondly termed as "mad-Ads" a form of art more popular in universities and colleges.
One such experiment was made by the team of PunchTantraa of Bangalore to bring a form of art which comfortably enjoyed a royal status in college to a professional arena, it was a transformation of one of its kind where not only the art but the transformation itself was put under test; can regular people who are more stereotyped to performances that has logic sense and story adapt to something which has no regular protocols of a performance in it?
"Why not?" would have been their answer, after all any form of performance is form of entertainment; "Being a ardent follower of legacy theatre, for me getting through the fact that a MAD-ADS performance can enter a professional stage did not jell well, perhaps that was the reason I booked my seats first to witness what was called as the laughter riot.
Packed house, fresh blood, new faces,care free, independent from protocols, the venue was set, as I invariably found myself sitting in the balcony of an auditorium which I had almost seen raising to its present glory, I wanted to witness the show as an "Audience" An empty stage with mere lighting and a HUGE camera tripods on the either side welcomed my mind, "huh! these college kids..I sighed!" the camera disturbed me a lot mentally, it never allowed me to concentrate and every time my logical part of mind kept on stressing! its a stage for performance not a "Wedding reception"
A gleam of theatre lights on stage relieved me a bit as a young person clad in jeans and white pullovers walked on stage with confidence, he was probably hosting the event, it looked typically "collegeish" I was just wondering where was the lady MC but thank god, that was then the performance started and I sunk into my seat.
"Put-Go-See" lenses was the word I heard first and I ridiculed the content but that's when i realized that I was too early in judging things! My eyes suddenly caught the attention of an amazing co-ordination in acting tagged with some beautiful voice modulation from behind, a style of theatre which greeks applied to their art form in their era, Perfect timing, simple co-ordination, good presence of mind and amazing voice over, the performance started with a thud of laughter and it stayed there, people rolled over the floor much to the claim by the host who asked the audience to hold on to the seats tightly, "Put-go-see" lenses though a product which the legendary beechi had popularized in his writings found a new meaning with some "PUNCH", that was probably their "TANTRAA" as well, An old wine in a new bottle is always refreshing. As the performance continued, their "PUNCHES" made a remarkable mark on most section of the audience, though few lines such as "Made in China Joke" seemed 1920's and few other jokes were inspired from FACEBOOK WALL POSTS, so what? questioned my brain? we all get inspired from something in our life, what's more important is how well we can express our inspiration and they had quite achieved it.
My highlight of the performance was when the "bike co-ordination of Batman" was performed, timed to perfect, it blew me off from my own seat, I was excited! I was enthralled, I got back the kid in me and i enjoyed that space. Humor always has a hidden message and PUNCH TANTRAA had realized it well, they did not hinder to show some of the most important causes which our country faces today through their style, "Eye donation", "Save Tigers", "Avoid Child marriage" were some the issues that were tackled, it is just that audience laughed over it and left it to air! that reminded me of the quote T.P Kailasam once quoted in his writings "Humor can deliver only smile, not a message"
To add on to the entertainment there was the movie spoof! of Titanic! which I thought was bit amateurish and not needed, at least a better film could have been chosen! A spoof of movie can only be shown through a movie, personally my mind never accepted a movie spoof through a performance on stage, infact I could not even understand the reason as to why was it included? why is that in our country movies are given such a special status that you need to put them in every possible corner? What stuck me then is, why could not they think better? may be a "book spoof", "Spoof of Steve jobs in heaven" or spoof of a "common man in office or in park", something which we all relate to, which we can iterate to ourself, that's when I thought that it is so important for us think differently, Movies are just part of entertainment not part of our lives.

The evening also had an amazing live band performance with the new kid in the block called "Beat boxing", something which probably took all of us to a different world, though it was short-lived it was refreshing and it was then back to more of "Mad-ads".
Call it illogical, call it funny, call it amazing, call it creative, call it experimental theatre, call it a performance, call it a laughter riot; it all boils down to one factor at the end of the day, did your audience enjoy the show? as an artist if you are in a position to answer that question then I would consider that you are successful in achieving what you wanted to, after all "Any performance is a form of Entertainment!"

Refreshing and smoothing, PunchTantraa has sparkled a new revolution in the performing arena, it is just that one has to wait and see how much turbulence can this revolution can bear?


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Ah! feels nice to come back here and type “words”, I am starting my season 3, hold on! not any imbecile interview show! Season 3 of my goofy, sardonic blogs.

Ever since I changed my name, to add my “Iyengar” as my surname, I have ran into major issues.  Surprised? well little did I know people in future would ask me “Oh! Iyengar? so you own that bakery that is there in 3rd block, 4th cross across the main road in some slum where people do not have potential to buy a single a piece of bread! from your bakery?”  all I do is give a weird look turn around trying to figure out the bakery the guy just mentioned.

There can be million other sharma’s and gupta’s with absolute no relation with each other, similarly there can be thousands of “Iyengars” with absolute no relation to each other, Not all IYENGARS are tortured or forced to set up bakery’s. We do go to so called education institutions and do study! we do do crazy things just like other people out there and not only bake breads.

“Oh! are you owner of all the Iyengar bakery’s? in bangalore?” popped a gentleman after reading my last name, for some strange reason he still stores my name in his phone as “Bakery abhishek” huh! even after taking him through the whole clan of Iyengars, he wasn’t still convinced. Not soon ago, a very good friend of mine challenged me to pick up a free bread by just talking to him in his language, duh!

If I owned a chain of “Iyengar bakery’s” in banglore, I would have been settled in a much bigger mansion than that of Mukesh Ambani’s. I am not even responsible for the stinking cookies or so locally called “Benne biscuits” in the Iyengar bakery’s, they are BAD and i know! and I do not endorse them nor try them! No need to go to consumer court against me, it is just waste of time and energy!

It is just that some good man decided to open a bakery and unfortunately the pudden-headed person had to name it as “Iyengars Bakery” which caught by the name and has caused massive troubles now! atleast to me, like how SAGAR restaurants are not owned by SAGAR, similarly the IYENGAR BAKERY story, one doesn’t need to do any research and study in IIMB and stop questioning me on the “Bakery empire” and how I manage it, your research papers will definitely land in one of those bakery’s.

It’s official and for the last time around, similar to the million’s of Gupta’s, Sharma’s, Kapoor’s, Naidu’s, Iyer’s'; Iyengar is just a surname and “I DO NOT OWN ANY IYENGAR BAKERY ACROSS THE ROAD”.

As I finish writing this article, one of my friend comes upto me and complains to me about his car’s bad tyres, as I try to finish this article with a perplexed face, he popped the next one “I need your help”

“what? how can I ?”

“I believe you own “IYENGAR TYRES !!!”
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On a raining evening when the stage was set for WeMove's second play! there was this lean guy standing tall not because he was extremely tall, he was just standing on a platform called "Attitude" I stared at him and asked him 
"Who the Hell are you?"
he answered in a tone which was not considered to be mild..
"I am Srikant, younger brother of Ranga.. have just come here to help my brother...I am not interested in bothering you..."
I nodded my head and started to walk back! just when i heard few more sound decibels...he questioned me
"BTW, who the HELL are you?" 
I was stunned only to look back the same stare with which I had greeted him..
Years later I saw the same guy standing in one of the corners of our rehearsals room, I thought its my time to give that stare back! and before even i could spill out my vengeance he came forward completely fearless and told me that he is here to replace his elder brother in acting, I thought i got my bonus points and questioned back!
"Do you even know acting?"
He replied "I can learn..."
I shot back "Can you learn?"
He smiled to answer "Any doubts?"



Srikanth Bhatracharya was then just on the tip of WeMove, A role which demanded him to be as rude as possible, I asked him "Can you be rude...?" he answered confidently "Are you asking to be Srikanth...?"
I loved his answer that day and thus started a journey which I always thought would break in months to come!

Day by day Srikanth Bhtracharya grew to become Sri'K' as he is fondly called, perhaps, my most noticeable mistake of WeMove is to think that Srik cannot handle different characters. Infact I thought he can never handle "Theatre". It was probably a shocking moment when in one of the rehearsals he asked me if he can perform a monologue, something which some of the bigger theatre artist fail to pull it off gracefully! he wanted to try it, I just nodded only to wait eagerly for his performance. Infact, in my life I had never anticipated any ones performance so much! I could still remember the day when he performed his monolouge in a clotted rehearsal place with absolutely no scope for concentration, I thought its tough to pull it out but yet again he pulled it off gracefully! 



In many sense I would really call him "Rahul Dravid" of WeMove, he always did what he was asked to do with absolutely no pain and tension and yet every time he pulled it of so gracefully! When there was a dire need of a romantic guy to play a romantic boy friend on stage, i rolled my eyes towards him... my brain did really hesitate but the smile/confidence on his face defeated my own thoughts, true to its sense, sri'K' is today considered to be one of the pivotal guy to play romantic roles.. ask him, he just shrugs it off saying "It only works with right pair ;)"

When the actor in him was almost tested in every aspect, it was time for some serious Production modelling and that's when I put my hands on his shoulders only to drag him to remodel something which WeMove today is known to set standards, "Production", he nodded yet again with confidence to "remodel Production" of WeMove, Along with Hanu Ramasanjeev, Srikanth worked day night through his thoughts to bring some of the best production to WeMove. When people sat in awe, he slipped backstage only to resort to silence but the smile and arrogance still prevailed.





When the production guy in him was almost exhausted, there was a need of tough guy who can run WeMove Operation on a day to day basis.. this time my eyes tried to roll to a different direction but my brain automatically turned to this man.. he smiled at me, the smiled conveyed the answer. 
An Actor, A production designer, An Operations Lead.. Srikanth Bhatracharya has just emerged himself to be sri'K'. I had to say that Srik is one of the rare jewels who work relentlessly without caring what happens around him, his only motive is to see a flourishing WeMove.

My salutations to Rahul Dravid of WeMove, Srik you are truly the "Youth President" of WeMove as you always regard yourself.

Leaders are not born but are made over the time, one such development process is happening now, I guess words are more than enough to indicate what needs to expressed.

In all these years when I see such a transformation in Srik happening from an arrogant lean boy to responsible person, I wonder in awe "AM I?"


Just few facts to add:-

  1. Srik was the actor in WeMove to receive the "Best Actor Nomination" in the recently held short and sweet festival
  2. WeMove's Production design was much appreciated by "Alex Brown" Australian theatre director as the most innovative design on stage
  3. Srik works in shift and yet manages to attend every WeMove rehearsals
  4. Srik is one of the few actors in WeMove to have done character roles of all ages and tone, starting from being a 24 years old to 60 year old





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It was a gloomy Sunday, tired and exhausted after a morning rehearsal session I set out to the Mecca of Theatre in bangalore, Rangashankara. WeMove Theatre was performing a short play, excited and thrilled I reached the venue, It was a big performance! From the time WeMove was started in 2006 I always had nurtured it in my hands, may be I always lacked confidence that others can nurture it as well but things had changed now. From being the single person to print and stick the posters to making sure the play goes on right and some times even act! I had grown now to handle something more big. WeMove Theatre was just 6 months old when I held it in my hands, I was careless and reckless then but every time I saw the eyes of the small 6 months old baby! I cried in vain wondering how to raise it?
Today it was over 5 years old and 54 shows old, WeMove Theatre is always a baby to me, I always thought it needed some one who could nurture it, least I realized that it had grown big enough to nurture people in turn. I waited long to get to this 'Moment of Realization' and it was on May 27th that I felt it. 
It was a WeMove show and I wanted to feel it like every one feels it, I have heard people critisczing us, blasting us, scolding us, praising us, pampering us, declaring us; I have heard people feeling a WeMove show. I wanted too..after all it is my first loved child! I grew up playing with it day-night from past 5 (now close to 6 years) I felt that I am atleast eligible to feel it atleast once. 

I decided not to land myself on back stage and bought a ticket for myself and stood in the queue along with many other people who were all eager to witness theatre in its best form! As I moved inch by inch towards the auditorium I started to feel my child just when I heard some one whispering

"WeMove is performing.. Mirror today..remember the play we watched the other day..." My ear could not stop but over hear only to realize that my child is not anymore a small child, "I started dieting after mirror.." she exclaimed, I touched my heart once and heard the heart beat.. there was a complete silence everywhere.. as I took my seat in the auditorium to see my first WeMove show. 
Though I have spent most of time in control/light rooms which are not on stage, they are always like sitting in a burning furnace.. this time I was just one of the hundreds of audience..
I had to nothing to do except watch! I was tensed, I had'n watched a WeMove play before I was not sure if it was worth the ticket money I paid, My heart was beating faster and prompted every second that I had to be there at the back stage looking after things, "Is WeMove old enough to sustain itself?" I questioned myself! My mind stopped me from jumping off the seat and asked me to relax! 

My child was on the stage and I was watching my child in the beams of lights that was jumping like a waterfall from the top! I just hoped to see my child victorious. Many like me sat there expecting entertainment and good fun. Just as when my heart almost started to run faster I saw something beautiful.. I sensed a feeling..I started to forget myself, My child was there right on the center of the stage performing.. in the form of three brilliant actors making every one feel a WeMove show. For the first time I felt it as well, I felt the pain, I felt the misery, I felt the sweat, I felt the fights, I felt the arguments, I felt the hard work, I felt all the begging I had to undergo! but then suddenly my mind stopped feeling.. It was like a calm wave hitting the sea shores. For a moment I closed my eyes to feel the calmness in me only to open to find every one applauding and cheering my baby! I turned across the auditorium to see every one smashing their hands together to show their love to my child! I too, not knowing what to do started to applaud but just then  I realized that my eyes was filled tears only to realize that my child today has grown from just being a small in- sensitive shy kid to a big responsible adult. 
For the first time I loved my tears and for the first time I watched a WeMove show, As I walked down the auditorium I heard voices speaking about WeMove, talking about WeMove... I just went to a corner took my seat and gazed at the WeMove logo and smiled at it... I presume it smiled back....!


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