As an artist and storyteller, Ratan Thiyam always came back to Manipur

Indian Express

25-07-2025

What is it like to be a storyteller in a state torn by conflict? Ratan Thiyam, the doyen of Manipuri theatre who died on July 23 at the age of 76, used to say, 'I don't want to be a politician. I am a theatre-person and doing a production is enough for me.' He made plays based on myths, wrapping his protest in metaphors of epic proportions. The audiences who crowded the theatres to watch Thiyam's plays had heard the stories of Abhimanyu, Antigone and Ashoka before — and then, they heard them from him.
Chakravyuh, a 1984 play that propelled Thiyam to international acclaim, revolves around Abhimanyu, who is trapped in a labyrinth created by hardened warriors. He dies fighting a war he had not started. Thiyam, skilled in uniting every element of drama, from visual and sound to costumes and lights, put out a spectacular narrative of war. He drew audience attention to a less-discussed aspect of Manipur — how young people, as confident and courageous as Abhimanyu, were caught in a maze of political violence and insurgency. 'I have to make plays based on myths, or nobody will take notice of me or my work,' Thiyam once said. His plays were searing political commentaries that made audiences in the region, the country and in international forums understand the Manipuri situation as a human tragedy.
In 1987, Thiyam was appointed director of the prestigious National School of Drama in Delhi, his alma mater. A year later, he quit and returned to Imphal to work with his group, Chorus Repertory Theatre, to tell stories. Though he travelled the world with his theatre group, Thiyam always came back to Manipur. His plays were in Manipuri. His aesthetics showcased the culture of the state — traditions such as the Wari Liba, a Manipuri storytelling form, Thang-Ta, a martial arts style, and pung or the Manipuri drum. He kept Manipur in the imagination, his own and that of his audiences.