Mohali, December 18: Azal Dusanjh, who went to Canada with a deep understanding of Punjabi theater, has made a strong entry into mainstream theater there and is making commendable strides. However, he has neither forgotten Punjab nor the theater gurus here who taught him to walk the stage. Today, he visited the premises of Suchetak School of Acting, whose director, Anita Shabdeesh, was his first director, who introduced him to the stage in his childhood. His last play before going to Canada was also directed by her.
Sharing his journey in the world of theater, Azal Dusanjh said that he received a deep understanding of his love for theater from Anita 'Tai Ji' (a term of respect for an elder woman), and at the age of eight, he started participating in workshops at the Press Club, where different directors taught the nuances of the art every year. After completing his schooling, he went to Canada for a degree in psychology. He had only completed two semesters when theater drew him in.
To understand the intricacies of the theater world, he changed his path of higher education and has been learning for the past seven years. He has taken a different path from other theater artists who went from Punjab and has firmly established himself in the mainstream there. He said that his educational language and theatrical activities are also in English. He has worked as an assistant director to the gurus from whom he learned and has also translated and directed plays by Shri Gursharan Singh in English.
In response to questions from Bhupinder Singh Malik, Sanjeevan Singh, Surinder Attai Singh, Jasbir Dhillon, and the students of Suchetak School, he explained that there are differences between the theater of both countries, and many problems are also shared, including the issue of funding. However, it is true that funding is available from the city, state, and central governments there, but the conditions are different everywhere, and assistance cannot be obtained without fulfilling them. He also mentioned that both professional and community theater are being practiced there. He said that his objective is that understanding one's own language and culture is essential, but connecting with the people there is also important.
Rajiv Kumar, influenced by Mr. Gursharan Singh's views, who has also kept those concerns free from the burden of commercialism in the film industry, praised Azal's entry into the Canadian mainstream. Prof. Attai Singh appreciated this aspect of Azal's conversation, that he presented even those aspects about which he himself is clear as questions, but respects the opinions of others. The thirst for knowledge strengthens the next journey.
Anita Shabdish described her disciple's arrival as a joyous occasion and expressed the hope that they wish him to guide them in their language with the knowledge and experience gained there and bring the performances of the artists from there to Punjab in English.