June 2011 Editorial - The Making Of Pratyush

By the time you all read this article, the verdict will surely be out. But it is just the end of May, and as I write, my mental state of mind currently is all jitters thinking about our most awaited event of the year – Pratyush 2011 which will be showcased at Rangsharda Auditorium, Bandra (W) on June 11, 2011. Well the program needs no introduction. Most of us have been a witness to this extravaganza! This is our third consecutive year and I am confident that we shall rock! For the last two years, I have had the pleasure and the privilege to cover the event in Prabhu Tarun and the opportunity to thank everyone on and off the stage for putting up a massive show like this! Since this year, our event is held in the second week of June, we will be covering the event only in July. So that leaves me not much scope to talk about what and how it all happened! So I found an alternative way of covering Pratyush…
Well, for all of you Pratyush is an event which is slated to happen somewhere in June, and I hope you all have booked your tickets! But for US (Pratyush event organizers) it’s a journey that began three years back! Journey filled with tears both of joy as well as sadness, excitement, fun, tension, anger, frustration, happiness, pride, overwhelm, bliss and I can just go on. From the day we conceptualized this show, till date, it has been the most unpredictable journey.
Way back in November 2008, we conceptualized an event with dance! All we wanted to do was re-create the magic Prabhu Tarun created some years back in 1997 in Amrut Mahotsav, which was the 75th year of Prabhu Tarun, and the whole year was celebrated with various events. Although we were very young, and barely contributed to the organizing of the show, we were participating in it and loved every moment of the rehearsals. For us ‘dance’ was all that mattered, most of us were in college and studying in our crucial years, but still would find time to make it on time for rehearsals with loads of dedication. Our then choreographer Mrs. Nandita Dhurandhar did a great job and trained us to perform various dance forms on that stage. The then Editor of Prabhu Tarun Late Mr. Suhas Kothare was indeed successful in getting a bunch of youngsters together to put up a good show, which surely left an indelible impression on young minds like ours! Such great memories, and we were simply looking forward to reviving the same magical moments! All we wanted to do was bring the youth together and provide them a platform that we got years back to showcase their talent, which otherwise gets lost in the competitive world of academics and corporate life! We got a tremendous support from the Prabhu Tarun Board and soon we got going with conceptualizing the program. Mrs. Puja Ajinkya – The director for the first year, and Mr. Vishwas Natekar – The choreographer for the past three years did a fantastic job! We got a remarkable response from the community and could put together almost 70 participants on stage! The community witnessed the first of its kind mega event and everyone associated with the show won accolades for themselves!!!!
The next year, was even tougher as it raised expectations from people. This time we brought in a new director Mr. Satish Joshi, who brilliantly wove a script with various dances and Mr. Natekar again at his best, put up a massive show! Well, the output was sheer brilliance!!! With accolades coming from every corner of the community, it was a very overwhelming moment for us! Because, rising above already high expectation was a tough task, but we sailed through. All this was possible because of a great team that worked persistently to put up such a mega event! And here we are, all set to rock the same stage all over again!
Well the journey so far sounds very good. But behind this journey there is a lot of heartbreak, disappointment, and fear. Is that very shocking to know? Well it may be shocking but, it is true. If you all have noticed I have been referring to ‘US’ as ‘Pratyush event organizers’. These organizers are a part of the ‘Yuva Manch’ committee and have selflessly given their time and have put in efforts to make this show happen. They volunteer for work only because they feel the urge to give something back to the community and by choice put in all the efforts without awaiting any orders from the Prabhu Tarun Board. But some who want to only be called a part of the committee for their vested interest, with time choose to walk away. It is indeed very strange to see success get into people’s heads. It is very unfortunate that some people just need more attention. They start thinking that the accolades are only for and because of them, but the fact will always remain that it’s the team effort that makes it happen. Talent is appreciated when it is exhibited humbly. People play politics on a stage which for us is nothing less than worship; such power seeking people can never garner respect and hence start drifting away from the team’s joint missions. The way a rotten potato spoils the entire basket of potatoes, similarly, they drifting away also leaves their residual negative energy and stench. We as a committee suffered in the bargain, losing many participants to this rotten potato!
Pratyush is all about the people participating in the show. As long as such negative vibes are only restricted to the committee, it is easy to handle. But when it starts trickling down towards the participants, it gets difficult to manage. Participants are ultimately young bloods, who get carried away by the words spoken by some who are all out there to ruin the show. Now you may ask that why would there be anyone who would want to ruin the show? Well we have experienced people whose nuisance value has risen to the hilt only because they have not been able to get the power to rule and the attention they feel they deserve while planning a program like this in spite of working in the committee. I know it sounds absurd and immature, may be it seems even more childish for someone like me to mention it here. This is not because I want to express my woes to you, but this is because we as a team want to appeal to all the participants.
We so eagerly wait every year, for your participation in this show, which provides you a platform to showcase your talent. We were never as lucky to get professional guidance in various art forms and stand on such a massive stage and perform. Here we are bringing it on a platter for you all and the least we want is a little bit of cooperation and support by being there and participating. Now that’s not asking for too much. Don’t wait for your friends to come, as here is where you originally met your friends, so if some don’t come never mind, you will make new friends! It is the art that binds the people together, and with clean intentions and a thirst to learn there will always be scope to find like minded people and grow your network even bigger.
All this may have dampened our spirits but we still have it in us to give this year our best shot! Not for anyone but for those participants who without complaining have always supported us through thick and thin. We started off on setting up a stage for the community and we are continuing our mission. We don’t know how long we can continue, but we are proud of these three years we have slogged it out along with all our participants. So all of you hold your breath, and raise a toast to the best event that could have happened in the history of our community, as we unfold Pratyush 2011. Starring a huge bunch of enthusiastic PPs, drama scripted and directed by Sanjoo Talpade and Bhakti Pradhan Shete, and dances of course choreographed by Vishwas Natekar! We guarantee you a rollicking ride as you experience another extravaganza from our kitty! Looking forward to seeing all of you come and cheer our little, young and old participants. I personally wish to dedicate this year’s Pratyush to all those participants who have stood by us like rocks through all the three years by contributing in their own way and encouraging us to keep coming back with a bang!