(This story was originally published on 26.03.18 and is being republished from The Quint’s archives on World Theatre Day.)
‘Amaar Gaon’ – or ‘our village’ – is a special place. It’s home to a very special group of people. And nobody here is made to feel small.
Located in Assam’s Udalguri district is a town named Tangla. This is where ‘Amaar Gaon’ is located. Around 30 people with achondroplasia – popularly called dwarfism – live here together. And they have built the village themselves.
The little residents are all the more special because all of them are actors. They are part of a unique theatre movement by National School of Drama graduate Pabitra Rabha, who in 2008 brought together vertically-challenged people from different parts of Assam and formed the ‘Dapon’ theatre troupe.
Dapon is an Assamese term. It means mirror. Through Dapon we are showing a mirror to the world and ourselves. We are telling the world that they should introspect and not make fun of people just because they are short. These little men also have the same dreams and aspirations as a person who’s much taller than them. But we mostly think of them as clowns in a circus.Pabitra Rabha, Founder, ‘Dapon’
‘Ki No Kau’ is the first play that Pabitra directed with his little actors. The play has travelled across India and has been showcased almost 70 times. As the play became popular, the actors started became popular, this newfound respectability and recognition is something that these dwarves always yearned for.
Earlier people used to ridicule us for our lack of height. But now whenever I go back home to my parents, my friends and neighbours come to meet me. I am a popular person now, they think I am earning a lot of money. But I really like the fact that they no longer make fun of me.Ranjit Das, Member, ‘Dapon’
The members of Dapon have built their home, ‘Aamaar Gaon’ with their own hands. The village is built on Pabitra’s ancestral land. It was a jungle of shrubs and bushes when they first came in. It took Pabitra and the dwarves almost 4 years to build their homes on this land. Today they are almost self-sufficient, growing their own crops, rearing their own cattle and rehearsing for the next big show.
Cameraperson: Tridip K Mandal
Video Editor: Kunal Mehra
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)