How an Assamese mime artist is crafting political messages with 'silence'

As he applies the "clown white" (the opaque white grease paint) makeup on his face and colours his eyes and lips in black, veteran mime artist Moinul Haque from Assam immediately gets into the skin of the character he is about to play.

In his latest performance, the three-minute mime skit, the 65-year-old Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee is urging all eligible voters to exercise their franchise during the ongoing nationwide 18th General Elections.

Guwahati-based Haque has been roped in by the Election Commission of India to create a voter awareness campaign for the seven-phase-long Lok Sabha polls to elect 543 members to the lower house of Parliament. The elections which started on April 19 will end on June 1.

In his more than four decades of career, the actor-director has been a part of several government-backed social awareness campaigns — including "appropriate COVID-19 behaviour" and "anti-smoking".

Practising the art of silence

Talking about mime as an art form, which primarily relies on body movements and facial expressions without speaking a word by the performer, he says, “It takes years of practice, dedication, hard work and patience to become a mime artiste. Otherwise, we can’t express ourselves and connect with the audience.”

The veteran artist, who has performed globally, adds that mime is a challenging art form. "But it is one of the best mediums to create awareness on various issues, including politics."

With around 6,000 stage performances under his belt, Haque, considered the pioneer of mime in the Northeastern region, feels "gagged" because of "the current political situation in the country”. Although he advocates voting during the elections, he can't talk about politics through his "art which deeply relies on silence".

The ruling dispensation and the politics of silencing artists

Various political issues have been a constant in several of his plays. Some of his popular plays with strong political commentary are “The Intrusion” (which delves into the issue of illegal immigrants in Assam), “The Bridge” (deals with the subject of religion and unity) and “The Puppet” (a political essay on society), to name a few.

Now he "treads carefully as artists have lost their creative freedom".

"These days, anything can happen. If I stage a political play, I might attract the ire of the ruling dispensation for not toeing the line. Or I might be called a 'terrorist' or an 'anti-national'. I am not the only one. Other artists of Assam also fear repercussions for their political views. It is a tense atmosphere," said Haque.

The "anxiety" is not groundless. The arrest of an Assamese student poet for allegedly writing an "anti-national poem" in May 2022 and the police case against 10 Miya (Bengal-origin Muslim) poets in July 2019 are testimonies of direct attacks on freedom of expression.

A better past, a troubling present and an uncertain future

Haque recalled the old and better times. "The creative people had the freedom to express themselves without any fear. I had performed several plays critical of the previous governments but there was no threat."

An Assamese theatre personality, on condition of anonymity, told The Federal that since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government came to power at the state and the centre, art and artists have suffered a lot. "It is impossible to stage a play critical of the ruling BJP government. Only pro-government people are flourishing in their work," he added.

Haque, who writes, directs and acts in all his productions, is ready with the revised version of his political play, "The Puppet". "I am waiting for a conducive time to stage it. Through the theatrical work, I want to show how all the four pillars of democracy (the legislature, the executive, the judiciary and the media) have been comprised currently," said Haque, who trains aspiring mime artists in his school, Mime Academy in Guwahati.

Celebrating comedy on stage

All these productions have a strong element of satire. Despite the seriousness of the subjects dealt with in these plays, it is the comic timing of the actors that the audience loves the most. The clownish gaze, gait and gag by actors are a favourite among the children who come in large numbers in every show of Haque and his troupe.

His other popular productions are “The Thief”, “Mask Maker” and “Paisa”. These plays address various social issues.

Challenges of a Muslim artist

Along with the "current political atmosphere", it is his "Muslim identity" which makes Haque "an easy target of his detractors".

“In the last decade, our society has become very polarised. Earlier, our religious identity did not matter. A person was judged by his work and deeds.

"Being an Assamese Muslim, I never faced any discrimination previously. I have received tremendous love and respect from one and all. It is still there. But now, I get hateful messages on social media. I am targeted for being a Muslim. It is saddening.” he added.

In his play, Hunger, he highlighted the futility of religious division when humans have to endure starvation. "Nothing matters when it comes to poverty and hunger. As a society, we need to work together to mitigate hunger, diseases and illiteracy. We can't afford to fight and discriminate against people based on their religion, race, caste and gender," he said.

When the personal and professional merge

It is not only on the stage where Haque professes "positive political messages". He practices it personally. He is married to Anjana Moyee Saikia, an odissi danseuse of repute. Saikia is also a lecturer in the department of community medicine, Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati. "She is a Hindu and I am a Muslim. It is love that brought us together.

"Religion never mattered to us. We believe in the syncretic and secular ethos of the Constitution. When we decided to get married, we faced a bit of opposition but later everyone welcomed us," said Haque.

"We have a happy married life. We understand each other well. It has helped us to excel in our artistic pursuits. We have a son and together we lead a life of contentment," he smiled.

The self-taught mime exponent started his acting career as a comic. It was during his college days. He was also a part of a popular comedy group, Sound and Comedy. He later turned solo and ventured into mime.

"I worship my work and craft. Even after several decades, I rehearse every day. Every month, I give at least five solo performances. It is my bread and butter," smiled Haque.

At his age when people usually take retirement from their work, Haque is brimming with ideas. "Age is just a number. I am an artist and a performer. I will continue writing, directing and acting till the end," he signed off.