Setting the stage for social change

He is one of those who makes your eyes go wide with every other sentence he utters. Twenty-three-year-old Akram Feroze claims that he had never heard of theatre until he was 17 when he moved to Hyderabad for college. But now, for the last six months, he has been travelling from village to village across the country to spread theatre awareness. “I was hooked on to it and knew that I wanted to pursue it,” he says.“The idea of travelling to villages and towns across the country has always been a fantasy for me. One night before I left on the journey, I thought to myself, why not include theatre to the itinerary because it is something I love anyway,” Akram explains. That he dropped out of college or decided almost overnight to make this journey is not the shocker in Akram’s story. He says, with a nonchalant shrug, “I travel only by cycle. Though I did not cycle a lot before — except as a kid, I have done it now. The goal of this journey keeps me going.” He slowly adds with a grin, “I originally wanted to walk everywhere, but my father talked me out of it!” He then springs another surprise. “I carry no money with me. I ask the villagers to give me some food and a place to stay, and I have received an amazing reception at most villages so far,” he says. “But there have been times when I have had to erect a tent and sleep on the pavement!” Akram plans a route and decides on his halt points as he cycles along. “I stop and speak with farmers and other people on the road. I listen to their stories, understand their culture and decide if I want to spend time there,” he explains. “I carry no maps with me. If I get lost, I’m confident that I’ll find people to help me out,” he smiles. Once he gets to a place, he spends a minimum of a week there. “I first learn their culture and understand how they live,” he says. He then gathers the children, speaks with them and finds what their problems are. “Once I know what’s troubling them, I make a storyline out of it, ask them to write their own dialogues and stage it in a public place where all the villagers can watch,” he explains. He pauses to take a phone call. “I get a minimum of at least two phone calls each day from the villages I’ve visited. People always want to check on me and make sure I’m doing all right,” he says. “I’m more grateful to them than they are to me,” he confesses. “In one village, a kid told me that it made him unhappy that his father drank so much. I used that as the plot of the play and he wrote the dialogues. I left the village hoping that the father would stop drinking at least after watching the play,” he says., “I also help adults and use theatre as therapy. I ensure that what I started in the villages is kept going by appointing an adult in the village as responsible for the task. And what plans for the future? “I don’t know!” he almost panics and adds, “The more I travel and live with people the way they do, the more I love what I’m doing.”. He hopes to travel for another two years before he pauses and thinks about what he wants to do in the future.