Termessos : Lost World
of Art
“Yes ….. I think 14th would be the most appropriate
day.”, said Mr. Siddiqui, the un-awarded director in Mumbai.
“Which 14th ……?” , asked Arohi, the casting
director and Mr. Siddiqui’s assistant.
“14th November ……
Children’s day it is…”, he replied.
“So, shall we start the preparations of the play… as it is
only four weeks to go….”, said Arohi.
“Come, I will brief
you and start scripting accordingly.”, Mr. Siddiqui said.
It was in the late 90’s in Mumbai, that Mr. Siddiqui who
directed Plays, short movies and standalone episodes in a channel used to
discover various theatres in the world and their origin.
He found one such theatre, which was in Turkey. The modern
day Antalya province in Turkey, which was then Termessos.The theatre was unique
and one of its kind as it had a history linked with it.
The city was founded near 71 B.C. and since then the people
of Termessos had a sense of art and promoted the culture of celebrating and honoring
the work of art. The most unique form of art was the theatre which showcased
plays on every Saturday.
The whole week was filled with preparation of the play which
was to be showcased on Saturday.
Mr. Siddiqui had come back after visiting the city of
Termessos and decided to portray the lost world of art in his play.
“Termessos – was built at the south-west side of the
Solymosmountains. Being a mix of plain andmountainairearea ,Termessos was built
with the inspiration of art and innovative architecture. It was a beautiful
city with a realm of art.”, briefed Professor Siddiqui.
It was 14th November (children’s day), when the
play – “Termessos – Lost world of Art” was to be launched in PrithviThetare in
Mumbai.
Preparations had started and the D-Day came near. Rehearsals
and briefing went all day.
“It was not only the theatre that attracted me in Termessos.
It was the overall architecture and the left-out nuances of Art, literature and
their culture that excited me.’, briefed Mr. Siddiqui.
“Hey, Fama&Fortuna…..are’nt you coming for the play
today?”, asked the senior architect Mr. Berk.
“Yes…. Dadie is coming to lock the temple and then we shall
go.”, replied Fama& Fortuna, the two daughters of the temple priest in
Termessos.
All was going well with rehearsals in Mr. Siddiqui’s
theatre.The tickets were ready to be sold and the bureaucrats along with elite
class of the film industry – the directors, writers, poets, musicians were
invited.
“The architecture of the city of Termessos was fascinating.
They had rock cut tombs along the main road.”, briefed the director.
“The remains in the city told the story of the picturesque
view of the famous “King Street as the Termessians used to call it. The street
with wide, shop-lined porticoes ran north-south through the city…….. The space between the columns of the
porticoes was filled with the statues of successful athletes, wrestlers and
people of inspiration.”, the director continued briefing.
“Common… we have this rehearsal of Scene – 26 ……. Hurry up
and queue up backstage.”, shouted Arohi – the casting director.
“Is this packed now…”..
“Yes the complete lunch is packed.” ….. “Please count that it should be
117 lunch boxes…. Yes it is.” ………. “Now push your feets and come fast after
delivering this at the theatre as I have to start preparations for the sumptuous
dinner.”, the termessians used to prepare food for the artists and the complete
unit of the theatre.
There were four different houses allotted daily to prepare
lunch and lavish dinner at the end of the day for the theatre artists. Men used
to deliver and serve the supper at the theatre.
“Hey…. Step aside … the Architects and the labours are
coming.”, said one Termessian to another.
“Where are they going with so much building material”
…… “I guess some new construction is on
the cards near the theatre.” ……….. “No….
they are going for the re-construction of the rock cut tomb near the temple,
which has cracks now.”, the Termessians conversed.
Art was worshipped and honored in Termessos. The Architects, labours, painters were paid
high respect in the society.
“Many of the modern theatres have been built in the same
way. The kind of plays and dedication in performing the plays were all
inherited from Termessos in the present times it seems. It may be Bollywood or Hollywood, they are
all inspired from Termessos theatre.”, briefed the director.
Fourteenth November came and the tickets were not fully sold
for the first day. Also the bureaucrats and the elite class of the film
industry did not turned-up.
It was disheartening for the theatre team but the director
looked confident and motivated everyone to perform at his or her very best.
The play started and nearly forty percent of seats were
occupied.
“Have you got the stone for the play?” , asked the soldier
randomly from a lady sitting in the corner seat in the south east end of the
theatre.
“Yes… I have bought one….aaaa …. Where it’s gone…… Oh ya ..here it is.”
The spectators had to buy a stone for the play in Termessos.
This stone was specially designed and the name of the play was written on it.
It was made in the weekdays by the architects and labours.
No one was asked at the entry for the theatre stone but if
anyone was found without the stone, they were punished severely.
“And you… please show me your stone Mr. ….. ?”, asked the
soldier.
“Aaaaa.. I had got it…… I don’t know where its gone”,
replied the Termessian.
“You should have visited the fortune tellers sitting outside
today…… they would have told you that you would have only four fingers in your
hand from today.”, said the soldier.
The guy was punished the next day and his limb was cut. This
was a strong message in the society of Termessos and this kind of instance was
rare.
The play ended and it was good to see that the spectators
were clapping.
“Word of mouth will work for us…….
Keep walking and work-hard.”, said the Director to the team after the
performance.
More than eighty percent of tickets were sold for the second
day.
“These were the six temples in the city of Termessos and
their chief god, Zeus was worshipped.
The city has the best water harvesting and storage facility.”, the voice
over was going on in the play while showcasing the city of Termessos in the
play and it continued…
…. “ The theatre was the most eye catching building in the
all the Termessos plain. It displayed most
clearly the features of the Roman theatre. The semicircular seating area, was
divided in two. Above stood eight tiers of seats and below there were sixteen
allowing for a seating capacity of some five thousand
spectators.
A large arched entrance way connects with the podium. The stage building
exhibits features characteristic of the 2nd century AD. A long narrow room is
all that lies behind it. This is connected with the podium where the play took
place. Under the stage lie five small rooms where wild animals were kept before
being taken on the stage.
Every play was portrayed through a drawing book, which was painted and
prepared by the famous painters and artists in Termessos. It was sold in the
thetare itself on next Friday. ”
The praising and
clapping of the spectators grew and the next day the newspapers had a column –
“ Termessos – The lost world of Art”.
The tickets were sold
out for the next two weeks.
“Sir, the bureaucrats
and invited elite people have been calling up for the play.”, said Arohi to the
director.
“So……… Let them buy the ticket now. They were
invited on the first day only. They should start respecting any form of Art.”,
replied the Director.
It was the third day
and the ambience was pumping like anything.
“Remember… I told that
those architect and labours were going to re-construct the rock cut tomb which
had cracks that day…………” ….. “Yaa…..so…” ……
“The same cracks have been found in the theatre and the architects and
the labors are re-constructing that to be finished till Saturday and get the
theatre ready for the play.”, the people of Termessos conversed in the
play.
The various
bureaucrats and invited elite people of the film industry started coming to
watch the play.
A beautiful city of
Termessos lost its identity and it was the last scene……..
“Why am I shaking so
much ………..Ohh everyone is shaking …….Ohhh …..Run ……..the podium is
cracking…… let the animals free from the
room below the podium…….”
It was a dangerous
earthquake that had hit this beautiful city of Art.
The Bureaucrats from the ministry and the film industry
decided and announced that the play would be funded to go no only around India
but the travel the whole world.
It was the respect for the play of Termessos and the
director – Mr. JavedSiddiqui.
The Newspapers headlines read the next day – “Respect for
Art – Thetare of Termessos and the un awarded director”.
=============================
Rating - 134/200
(Team Rishi Srivastava and Amit Albert)
Judges - Pankaj V. (Shaan), Mayank Sharma and Mohit Trendster
Total Rating ( 3 Rounds) - 348/600 (58%)
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