Muslim family plays gods to keep dying art alive
ALLAHABAD: At the ongoing shilp mela, a bahurupiya dressed as Hanuman
greets visitors and looks as authentic as he can, till he takes time off
to greet his uncle with an 'aadaab'. That's when one realizes there is
more to the man behind the makeup and the costume.
Participating in the mela at the North Central Zone Culture Center, the family of Shabarati Khan from Bandikul village of Dausa in Rajasthan is worth meeting. Shabarati, as well as his six sons, all staunch namaazis, is better known by the Hindu gods they play, showing us in their small way that art transcends religion. So Firoz is Ravan and Laxman, Farid is Shiva, Naushad is Hanuman, Salim is Bheem, Shamshad is Narad and the youngest, Akram, is Krishna.
"The art has been pursued in our family for several generations as our ancestors were 'Darbari Bahurupiya' in Raja Man Singh's court. But today, things are different as government does not provide patronage so this art form is dying a slow death," says Shamshad. We have to arrange for our makeup and our costumes. We don't purchase it from the market. Our earnings are so low that we are not encouraging our children in this profession, adds another brother.
Shabarati, or Shivraj, as he is better known, missed this year's event. Ask his sons what they feel about religious intolerance, and they succinctly put it in words the feelings of the common man, "yeh bade aadmi log hain, jo mann mein aata hai, bole dete hain, aam admi ko rozi-roti se fursat nahi hai aur humare liye ye koi mudda nahi hai (These are big stars and speak whatever they feel like. The common man get the time as he is busy his earning bread and butter and as far as we are concerned, there is no such issue)," says Firoz
Participating in the mela at the North Central Zone Culture Center, the family of Shabarati Khan from Bandikul village of Dausa in Rajasthan is worth meeting. Shabarati, as well as his six sons, all staunch namaazis, is better known by the Hindu gods they play, showing us in their small way that art transcends religion. So Firoz is Ravan and Laxman, Farid is Shiva, Naushad is Hanuman, Salim is Bheem, Shamshad is Narad and the youngest, Akram, is Krishna.
"The art has been pursued in our family for several generations as our ancestors were 'Darbari Bahurupiya' in Raja Man Singh's court. But today, things are different as government does not provide patronage so this art form is dying a slow death," says Shamshad. We have to arrange for our makeup and our costumes. We don't purchase it from the market. Our earnings are so low that we are not encouraging our children in this profession, adds another brother.
Shabarati, or Shivraj, as he is better known, missed this year's event. Ask his sons what they feel about religious intolerance, and they succinctly put it in words the feelings of the common man, "yeh bade aadmi log hain, jo mann mein aata hai, bole dete hain, aam admi ko rozi-roti se fursat nahi hai aur humare liye ye koi mudda nahi hai (These are big stars and speak whatever they feel like. The common man get the time as he is busy his earning bread and butter and as far as we are concerned, there is no such issue)," says Firoz
. 
“Bahurupi” Boys Hindu Goddess lode Siva Dress at the begging | Demotix.com
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“Bahurupi” Boys Hindu Goddess lode Siva Dress at the begging | Demotix.com
www.tribuneindia.com300 × 200Search by image
The bahurupis entertain by enacting roles of mythological figures
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