Theatre in Nagaland ‘will take time, but it is coming’: Bendang Walling

Hill Theatre, Dimapur conducts 10-day workshop at Soul House Academy

Filmmaker, actor, and theatre artist Bendang Walling has expressed optimism about the future of theatre in Nagaland, asserting that while progress may be slow, it is steadily taking shape.

“It will take time but it will come up because we have been working from the past one decade,” Walling told MT. Citing the example of Soul House Academy in Mokokchung, Walling said, “A school from Mokokchung needs art…I always used to say, it is the art that is travelling, not Bendang Walling… I thought it will take some time but it is coming.”

Walling, along with his group member Mapulemba, was recently in Mokokchung to conduct a ten-day theatre workshop at Soul House Academy which concluded on Thursday, 17 April.

Known for his role as Sub-Inspector Isaac in “Paatal Lok” Season 2 (2025), Walling called for a deeper understanding of theatre as a vital educational tool and career option in Nagaland, especially in light of the upcoming implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP).

“When we talk about theatre and films, many people think only about acting, directors, and technical stuff,” Walling said. “However, there is a very interesting learning over there. I am from a theatre background, and we always go for a holistic approach— not just the performance side, but to mould the personality and confidence of a person.”

Walling emphasized that theatre should not be confined to the realm of entertainment but seen as an important part of education. “We term it as ‘theatre in education’ or ‘drama in education’. Theatre in education is very different from theatre for performance,” he said.

Referring to the NEP, Walling raised concerns about the readiness of the state to implement it. “I feel like it will take some time for Nagaland. Why I am saying this is because we don’t have professionals. If any institution is to implement the NEP, we need Naga professionals from every field—film, theatre, sports, painting, etc. Otherwise, we’ll end up hiring from outside, like in the past when Hindi, Math sans science teachers were brought in.”

He stressed that the time is approaching when professionals from diverse creative fields will be in demand. “So, are we ready or not? That is a big question,” he said. “When we talk about theatre as a career, yes, there are obviously a lot of career opportunities over there.”

When asked if theatre helps someone become a more skilled actor, Walling explained, “It depends. For me, I always used to say that it is better to go for a formal education. Until and unless you don’t go to an institution, I’m not saying that you won’t learn the craft of acting, but when you go to an institution, you become very clear about how the craft should be molded.”

Walling further emphasized that formal education helps actors gain direction and clarity in their approach. “The kind of direction that we have to take, or the kind of character building that we have to take,” he said. However, he also acknowledged the role of raw talent, noting that “if a person is so talented and solely depends on their skills or talents, it takes some more years to be crafted on their skills.”

When asked about the objective of conducting a workshop in Soul House Academy, Walling said, “This is what I have always dreamed of— to spread the knowledge of theatre and drama throughout the district of Nagaland. I hope and pray that this will be a good start.”

Having worked in the field for over a decade, Walling’s passion for theatre education extends to working with young people. “I enjoy working with children because whenever I come to a workshop with them, it’s me who ends up learning more. The kind of innocence they have and the imagination they possess is something we can’t speak of,” he said.

Walling described the workshop as an enriching experience for both the students and himself, noting, “Such kind of workshop, for me as a guide, going to a new environment and learning is a good learning process.”

Walling also praised the children who participated in the recent theatre workshop at Soul House Academy, expressing his admiration for their intelligence and potential.

Reflecting on his own childhood experience, Walling noted, “In our days, we were kind of shy and there were lots of inhibitions. Somehow, we were kind of dumb also, so our teachers tried their best to make us smart.” However, he emphasized that today’s children are much more advanced. “Nowadays, the kids are smarter than us, so we have to pull down the kids’ smartness level and start working with them,” he said. “The children, they have registered everything, and we worked in a very thin line with them.”

Walling commended the participants, calling them “excellent and smart” and highlighting that children across Nagaland are eager to learn and embrace new ideas. “The kids are excellent, and all over the state of Nagaland, they are very smart and ready to learn something new,” he added.

He also acknowledged the efforts of the academy’s proprietor, Arenla Lemtur, for fostering an environment where new art forms can flourish. “It’s about how you want to accept new art in your institution,” Walling remarked. “It is a brilliant thought and job by the proprietor Oya Aren.”

A total of 22 children from grade 3-7 participated in the workshop.

Principal and Administrator Arenla Lemtur said the school initiated its drama club for the very first time through this workshop. She acknowledged that their teachers “didn’t know how to go on about it,” but they were determined to begin somewhere. “My ultimate goal was to have an annual production for the school,” she said. “I wanted to have that but didn’t have the tools. That is from the school’s point of view. For the students, it was to learn something new.”

“What I never expected to come out of this workshop,” Lemtur continued, “was how children learned the skills of self-confidence, expressing their opinions, respecting each other, paying attention, focus, and learning skills. The main objective was to get an idea of how to have a school play, a production.”

She added that the school hopes to make such workshops an annual event and eventually incorporate theatre and drama into the regular academic curriculum. “I want to encourage youngsters out there—if they’ve graduated and don’t know what to do, there is opportunity here too.”With this initiative, Soul House Academy hopes to become a model for schools in Nagaland looking to bring arts and creativity into mainstream education.

MT