By Priyadarshini Piramal
With over 500 shows presented at the NCPA every year, from jazz to the symphony orchestra, from Hindustani and Carnatic music to classical and folk dance, plays, films, screenings and photography, the seamless organisation of this vast variety of events calls for backstage protocol that runs like clockwork. It is almost as if the newness in performance must be matched by a degree of procedural sameness for a show to be successful. An element within this system which often remains underappreciated is the art of ushering. Whether you have time on your hands to acknowledge the warm smile that greets you at the entrance or you are making a dash for your seat in a darkened theatre under the discreet, faceless guidance of a torchlight, the ushers at the NCPA work tirelessly to ensure fruitful evenings for audiences and artistes alike. An army of 56 men in silver bandgalas and waistcoats is part of the NCPA, meant to greet and manage the audiences at the five theatres and the art gallery. Their duties begin promptly an hour before audiences are expected, and end much after the performances. Pranav R. Sawant, a senior usher who has been part of the NCPA for 15 years, shares insights into what his job entails, “I supervise the ushers who are on duty inside the theatres and explain to them the special arrangements of the day with regard to seating, for example, or taking care of the comfort of audience members with disabilities, etc. Above all, we must always keep a smile on.”
Vishwanath R. Shetty looks back on his rich experience of 27 years at the NCPA which has given him exposure to the arts while also equipping him with the tact of navigating tricky situations. “We encounter guests who want to enter without tickets, or claim they have special entry due to contacts in the management, etc. We have learnt how to manage such scenarios in a civilised, polite manner,” he says. With smartphones having become ubiquitous, the demands on the role of the ushers have grown manifold. “We must remain alert at all times, monitoring any guests who may be recording videos or taking photographs,” says Sawant, highlighting the NCPA’s policy of complete adherence to the artiste’s ownership of the copyright on their creation and also general courtesy expected of all present to witness an art form.
Although there may be a few difficult guests in the mix, there is also a delight in spotting veteran audience members. “There are people who have been coming consistently to the NCPA for decades, they are always kind and polite. Among a crowd of guests, these are faces we can recognise instantly,” says Shetty. Ramesh Devadiga, who has been at the NCPA for 24 years, looks back on those unprecedented times with a sense of gratitude. “Even though we were operating at 50 per cent occupancy, the number of ushers wasn’t brought down to see to it that help was at hand for the audience at all times. We are thankful to the NCPA for standing by us throughout those tough times, ensuring we were paid our salaries even when there were no performances and no audience to usher in.” Sawant recalls the support he received from the NCPA during the lockdown, “They checked in on us regularly. We have become like a big family over the years.”
As one of the pillars of this family, the ushers are dedicated to maintaining the institution’s reputation for hospitality. In the interviews conducted for this article, they unanimously chose to use the word ‘guests’ over ‘audience’. They feel a sense of ownership, as if welcoming someone into their home. This is what makes their approach personal, knowing where loyal guests may have bought their usual seat or that they may prefer to leave soon after the first curtain call to beat the traffic and therefore, assisting them with the same. It would not be wrong to say that the ushers at the NCPA have perhaps witnessed more performances than the most regular of audience members. Even with an eye on a phone going off or the no-eatables-inside rule being honoured, it is hard not to be touched by the drama onstage. “The best show I have seen so far is the play Purush with Nana Patekar,” recalls Shetty. “It is the only full show I have seen in so many years, because my duty is at the main gate.”
ands out in his memory. “Although the show has been hosted in various cities across India, the ability to execute a large-scale musical is unmatched at the NCPA. We can house 120 dancers, a number which may need to be brought down in other theatres. Our stage can house such durable sets that we can cater to any desire of the director.” They may not be able to fully experience a show, but the ushers can predict its success by gauging the response of the audience during the intermission and certainly by the end of show. “We know the audience well enough,” adds Shinde with pride.
There are other nuances which have been picked up too. “After years of watching different shows, we learn little by little about music, dance and drama. For example, we can now notice a change in dialogue, or if a scene gets skipped in plays with a long run,” notes Sawant. “Paresh Rawal’s play Kishan vs. Kanhaiya was very successful, and then we also had the screening of his film Oh My God! [which was based on the play]. When Naseeruddin Shah or Anupam Kher are here, they bring in large audiences,” he adds. They may need to seat a 1,000-strong audience within 15 to 30 minutes but they wouldn’t have it any other way. “It feels nice to see a packed theatre. It is so full of life.”
Devadiga offers an interesting analogy. “The NCPA without its ushers is like Mumbai without its police,” he says with a gentle laugh. “We are the front men along with so many other people who are there to take care of different aspects of a show, but a show is nothing without its audience. Our responsibility is to connect the audience to the shows.”
This article by Priyadarshini Piramal appeared in the December issue of NCPA’s On-Stage magazine.
