Sumeet Raghavan also spreads the #NoMobileDuringPerformance message on social media, in reaction to unruly audience members
Anup Satphale (BOMBAY TIMES; June 14, 2019)

Actor Sumeet Raghavan recently stopped a performance in Nashik midway, due to mobile phone interruptions from the audience, during the play Knock Knock Celebrity. He followed it up with a post explaining his stand with the hashtags #ZeroTolerance and #NoMobileDuringPerformance. The incident however, is not the first time an artiste has had to resort to such an extreme measure.

Actors Vikram Gokhale, Chinmay Mandlekar, and many others have had to do the same. A few months ago, Chinmay halted his play Sukhanshi Bhandto Aamhi, when a man used his phone. “More than 18 times I’ve had to stop performing and request people to stop using their phones. This is a problem of basic respect towards an artiste, which unfortunately some of people don’t have,” he says.

Some artistes feel that it is usually older people whose phones end up ringing mid-performance. Despite facing such issues, veteran dancer Shama Bhate says that she has never stopped a performance. “We can’t just stop the performance. We have to keep calm and continue as it’s our duty towards loyal audience members.” Shama’s solution to the problem is mobile lockers at auditoriums. “There are many religious places where mobiles are not allowed and people do not object. Auditoriums too, should have such facilities,” she says. Theatre-TV actor Imran Khan (left) says, “It’s so unethical. I haven’t faced a situation like that, yet, but if it ever happens, I wouldn’t stop the act, but would definitely make him or her apologize to every one after the show ends. Or, I would give a pause and stare at that person so hard that he gets up and leaves.”

On the other hand, veteran actor Vikram Gokhale (right) has gone to the extent of telling people not to come for plays if they are more interested in their phones. “I used to make announcements in Hindi, English and Marathi. But despite that, I had to stop my plays midway, several times,” he says, adding, “I suggest theatre owners or associations use jammers in halls.” Citing an example, actor Subodh Bhave says that jammers have been used in the past during one of his plays, Kala Ya Laglya Jiva. “It was based on a serious subject and had a cast of two artistes. Such things happened during some of the performances and I had to stop performing a couple of times. After that some theatres installed jammers when the play was being staged,” he says.

Popular theatre personality Salim Arif says, “In the midst of an intense scene in the silence of the auditorium, a phone ring can switch you off as an actor. You can even go blank, as it disrupts the flow of your thought process. The ring cuts you off from wherever you are in your created mindspace.

Sumeet is not the first one to do something like this. “Actors like Atul Kulkarni and Harsh Chhaya have done this in my shows, too. It is extremely irritating and rude on the part of the audience, who, after repeated announcements before the show and in interval, don’t bother to check their phones and put them on silent mode. Each actor reacts differently when a phone rings. While deal with it by making a humorous comment and moving on, some get worked up and react with frustration and anger. But it is difficult to be oblivious to such sounds and continue.”

Speaking from the perspective of his audiences, director Prajakta Deshmukh says that using jammers or not allowing mobiles inside auditoriums is not a solution. “When I go as an audience member, I would feel insulted if someone asked me to deposit my mobile at the entrance. It is upto the audience to ensure they do not disturb a performance.”

Actor Priya Bapat, who recently turned producer of Marathi play Dada Ek Good News, asserts that it is the responsibility of every member of the audience to maintain decorum irrespective of age. “Even my baba doesn’t know how to switch off or switch on his mobile phone. But when I go along with my parents to watch a play, I ensure that I put their phones on silent. Similarly, youngsters among the audience can help senior citizens and seniors can ask for their help.”

Classical singer Rahul Deshpande who has performed in sangeet nataks, says that it’s ultimately in the hands of the audience and organisers can’t do much. He says, “I too have had to stop performances, but the best we can do is hope for the audiences to start respecting us.” And going by the fact that Sumeet’s recent show in Nashik last Sunday went on without any mobiles buzzing, it looks like audiences might finally be getting the point.

— With inputs from Rishabh Deb, Preeti Atulkar, Sushmitav Jha & Soumya Vajpayee