Veenapani Chawla
Theatre artist Veenapani Chawla, one of Auroville’s most
dynamic neighbours, passed away on November 30 after suffering a heart attack
following a pulmonary embolism. She was only 67 years old.
Veenapani was the founder, artistic director and managing
trustee of the Adishakti Laboratory for Theatre Arts & Research (ALTAR), a
trust that owns and runs the Adishakti campus opposite Auro-Orchard. It has
artists’ residences, a guest house and a small theatre, which is well-known to
many Aurovilians.
Veenapani created Adishakti in 1981 as a theatre company in
Mumbai. Its main activity then was to create performances that were already
scripted. But that did not satisfy her. In 1983, she started including research
as a part of Adishakti’s activities, out of a need to create a new language for
contemporary performance. It became the driving force. “We are not interested
in performing in the traditional ways. Instead, we attempt to learn from
India’s rich t...
>> More
>> More