Learn about an orchestra that showcases talents of handicapped and visually challenged artistes

Mujhpar ek ehsaan karna ki mujhpar koi ehsaan na karna Do me a favour dont do me any favours The Salman Khan catchline elevates itself to a lifesustaining worldview when mouthed by 20yearold dancer Gajanan Bhagat who doesnt have legs His dhinka chika signature dance step rendered on his knees is a defining moment in the threehour long Swaranandwan entertainment orchestra which is run by 100odd orthopaedically challenged visually impaired leprosyaffected also cured and speechhearing impaired artistes from Anandwan the community living rehabilitation center at Warora in Chandrapur district Bhagats philosophy No Charity But Opportunity finds echoes in the over threehour long variety entertainment show that is soon to complete 15 years and has just completed its customary New Year cheer tour across Maharashtra with conceptualiser Dr Vikas AmteEven before sponsors express their interest in booking the artistes for shows through the year Dr Amte Anandwans chief functionary takes to the stage at the end of each concert to explain the motivation behind the orchestra This is no parade of the needy This is a stage exuding positivity and hope ndash an enabling space where the handicapped and the supposedly deformed tell the world that life is worth living and worth giving back to Instead of seeking charity Swaranandwan has rededicated its cash collections to community causes be it subsistence farmers families or waterstarved villagesEver since he floated the orchestra concept in 2002 Vikas the elder son of Magsaysay awardeesocial reformer Baba Amte who set up Anandwan primarily focused on leprosy patients in 1948 perceived Swaranandwan as a form of therapeutic theatre or Upchar Manch in which the disabled get a sense of exhilaration integral to a stage appearance The artiste rises to the occasion by putting his or her best foot forward in a timebound ticketed enactment The demonstration of artistic skills to a possible professional extent singing choreography mimicry oratory soundlightproperty management instills confidence in not just the artiste but also the audience which leads to the catharsis that Dr Amte sees as necessary in contemporary divisive timesAs stage manager Ravindra Nalgintwar recalls Swaranandwan started as a smallscale inhouse amusement activity in which Dr Amte and his wife Bharati wanted to tap the talent of the inmates of Anandwan a campus 465 hectares spread across 35odd distinct projects a vocational training center a school for the blind a rescue center for abandoned children an agriculture college routine health camps and hospitals etc The idea was to conceive a show that would add a zing to those who were doing relief work and even those whose lives were being rehabilitated Some of us had a good voice but lacked formal training Some thought they could dance but had tried it only in the Ganesh festival mandals We had some donated instruments which none of us knew how to play We couldnt deal with microphone management which often created a music of its own Our initial shows were therefore too slapdash In fact Vikasdada would record our shows and replay it for our improvement Nalgintwar saysThe orchestra has caused good cheer offline too especially each DecemberJanuary season when the travelling troupe performs in cities like Panaji New Delhi Nasik Pune and Mumbai So far around 800 artistes some have left Anandwan after the rehabilitation have been part of the Swaranandwan show The current contingent has 200 artistes who take turns in the shows as all cannot travel together which includes backstage workers caretakers cooks tailors and musicdance teachers As oldtimermanager Sadashiv Tajne 63 who lost his legs to polio in childhood and is therefore wheel chairbound says each stage performer is backed by at least four ablebodied offstage helpers due to which the troupes management becomes a logistical featOften Swaranandwan turns down offers of sponsored shows from other states because travelling long distances in a disabledunfriendly India adds to offstage tensionsIt is only after experiencing the three hours of Swaranandwan that one knows why Vikas Amte calls it Art Attack Each artiste allotted less than five minutes of stage time has a reputation and tenacity for holding the audience for minimum four hours at a stretch Since all 100odd artistes cannot be accommodated in each show a healthy tussle is witnessed for earning the slots which shows when leprosycured Purshottam Chandekar 45 lives up to his Voice of Kishore Kumar tag blind and mentally challenged who cannot speak much otherwise Sonu 21 evokes awe in her Dil Cheez Kya Hai delivery Guddu 32 who lost his legs in an accident a tailor by profession renders his Main Hoon Don with an exemplary freshness The team of hearing impaired artistes display perfect coordination while dancing to Made in India without the audience realizing the sign language instructor seated below the stageSwaranandwans artistes subtly introduce social messages by sharing their stories For instance when compere Sudhir Kadam 42 a wheelchairbound artiste sings for his wife a hearingimpaired Anandwan worker it is a statement in itself In a light tone he says that unless he touches her how will she know that he is singing Chhookar Mere Dil Ko Kiya Tune Kya Ishara Similarly when the 24yearold Mangal less than threefeet girl dancing to Chalein Jaise Hawaaien Sanan Sanan rescued from an abandoned childrens home in Bhiwandi says she just finished her graduation and intends to do her Masters in political science she achieves an exceptional height in an instantA book of Baba Amtes lessknown motivational songs is just out and some of them have featured in the orchestra Those close to Baba Amte recall them as difficult songs that require a niche understanding of the movement from which they stem The book therefore has accompanying commentary on what the verse signifies Surprisingly the differentlyabled internalized it a while ago Encore is the wordSumedha RaikarMhatre is a culture columnist in search of the subtext You can reach her at sumedharaikargmailcom