How long can you wait for something?
Many mnay years ago, I remember that the popular program on
state controlled TV was a news segment that was privatized. It used to come
every Friday, I think later in the evening. It was very well produced and it
brought to India the highlights of everything happening around the world. It
was Prannoy Roy’s ‘The world this week’. We grew up understanding the world as seen
from the perspective of this show. Indian News was typical state run and boring
with a newscaster giving the highlights through a script, with very little
video reporting. Most of the reporting centered around the Prime Minister and
his stooges. At the end of the news show, The world this week, always had a
small interesting segment, an interesting video or a clip on anything around the
world. Once, they showcased a very novel group making waves around the world.
This was a musical dance group that only made music, and danced to it, from
items found around in the streets. They used garbage cans, plastic drums and
broom sticks to make excellent beats. I so wanted to see it some-day, some
place. This would have been in or around 1991. I never forgot that feeling and
that desire. I wanted to see for sure.
Recently around a month back, newspapers had ads that said
that the original show “Stomp” was there in India, with shows in Mumbai. This
was the original group that performed the percussion show that I saw on TV 25
years ago. It was here and in Mumbai and accessible. This was awesome. I definitely
wanted to see it. I used the youtube to sell this to her. She was game. Often
desires are scarified at the altar of family time. Then the next was Jispa. One
Sunday, I showed it to her. I showed her the youtube videos and she was on board
as well. So, the challenge was to figure the show in the busy schedule that Jispa
and Jasmine have. Mine is simple. I work like a dog 5 days of the week and the weekend
is devoted to family. Family has swim and other priorities and then I am done.
This time Jasmine figured the time and asked me to book the
tickets. I was pretty excited. The tickets were definitely not cheap. They started
at 750 bucks and went upto 4,500 a head. This was at the NCPA theatre which was
a large but awesome theatre. At this place there aren’t really any bad seats.
And inspite of waiting 25 years, I still didn’t want to spend so much money. I
know it’s kind of nice and interesting but still. I saw the seating and there,
the last two rows were for 750 and then the third row was 1000 and then the 5th
row was 1500 and there on. Wait a second. Was I going to pay double just to be
seated four rows in front. That wasn’t happening. I ended up taking the last
row at 750 bucks a ticket. I don’t know if I was getting cheap or I was getting
really cheap or I was just a smart guy who was making a rational price value
trade off.
Nevertheless, the 25 year wait was well worth it. The guys were
lovely, athletic and full of energy. Most importantly they had enough funny
moments in the show that added a lot of relief. They engaged with the crowd and
made the crowd a part of the troupe by having segments in which the crowd was
clapping in a set beat. There was one guy in the troupe who was singled out as
the clown and who would do things against the grain of the performance. The
most random of things would happen. One special random moment was when the
troupe was making some music with the shopping carts as props. They kept
passing the carts around each other, when randomly one shopping cart is thrown
from one side of the stage to another and in it is this same guy who is calmly
reading a newspaper. It was so weird and random that it was funny.
Later on, I had the chance of discussing this with Jispa.
Seeing it for the amazing experience that it is, is one thing; but having the chance
to discuss it with someone is another; and that someone who takes it further
and imparts knowledge to you.. outstanding; and that is your daughter –
complete priceless. She and me spoke about the performance and we discussed on
how it was crazy and amazing. I spoke about the drama, the anticipation, the exaggeration
of the movements and fun it brought on stage. Jispa took it to another level –
she spoke about the ‘red nose clowning’ technique that she learnt at school.
She spoke about how the show employed all the techniques to give the
performance. Now that Jispa is old enough and she understands drama better, she
likes to come for shows with us. Now to keep an eye out for such shows and to
have conversations that generally increase the level of intelligence between
the family. What more could I ask for.
On clowning, I just recently heard about the term mattachino.
This is the term used for the Italian court
jester. The jester in the court was an important figure. His job was to tell
truth to power. “Their role was more than pure amusement; they were the
original “truth tellers,” whose job was to mock typical human vices of
vanity, venality, snobbery, petulance, laziness, carpetbaggery, and
fatuity. The court jesters aimed their humor at the usual targets:
religion and the hypocrisy of its authority figures; pompous and
self-serving scholars and grandiloquent artists; knavish and sycophantic
court officials; and indolent, mercurial, or incompetent rulers.”
As I read about the mattachino, I realize that in office and at home as well, there is a need for the
mattachino who role in life is to tell truth to power. Truth to power is
dangerous and is not often allowed. More often than not it is punished. But a
clown is the only way to say it. That is the way to tell power and for the power
to digest it – through humor and laughter. When I started working, I have
always noticed that there is always one guy in the team whose job it is to
clown around, to speak the truth in a way that is best digested by everyone. When
he opens his mouth, everyone laughs as he speaks the truth, he criticizes but
in a way that you cannot take offence. I think in every board room, there
should be a role of the jester. His job should be to diffuse the tension, to
laugh, to crazy jokes, to make fun of people and to allow truth to emerge. In
my previous company, I had a crack team. But this team most crucially had the freedom
to laugh and to poke fun at each other. They would poke fun at me and I would
get back at them. We would laugh. That allowed everyone to improve and move
ahead.
Laughter is
important. At our home, I take this very seriously. Everyone is allowed to
crack jokes on anyone. You can’t feel bad about it. The most truth is told when
we are having fun at each other’s expense. Within the norm of humor, respect
and care, humor can only improve the team. My cricket team as well. Humour was
important element. We used it to push each other and poke fun at each other.
Now I understand
one more important dynamic of teams and one important dynamic of laughing.
Interesting. Who knew…
