Ghasiram Kotwal: historical figures embroiled in modern controversy GHASIRAM KOTWAL An Inconclusive Jabbar Tendulkar: rewriting history Muddle strong direction UDD ENLY, eight years after it Chitpavan Brahmin community had whose members include such theatre had first been performed, Ghasi- complained that Tendulkar’s version of luminaries as Mohan Agashe and Sram Kotwal was in the news again. history was unacceptably biased against Jabbar Patel, innocently scheduled a Bombay’s theatre world watched, stun­ it. The Shiv Sena, which had also performance of Ghasiram for the ned, as a dispute that everyone thought objected to Tendulkar’s equally con­ Festival. had been settled forever, grabbed the troversial Sakharam Binder, had joined Objections Raised: It was only on headlines last fortnight. Contributing the clamour against the play. But the September 19, a mere six days before to a sense of deja vu was the fact that uproar had soon died down and Ghasi­ the group was due to depart for Berlin the opposing sides in the dispute were ram continued to be staged without that the backlash began. Shiv Sena old adversaries—the controversial attracting much attention. Mani Kaul legislator Pramod Navalkar wrote to Marathi playwright Vijay Tendulkar on and the Yukta film cooperative went on the Government demanding that the the one hand and Shiv Sena leader to make a film out of it and it seemed, Academy be prevented from going Pramod Navalkar and the massed le­ that in the more permissive ’80s, it had abroad. (“I would have complained gions of his Prekshak Sangh, on the become a non-issue. earlier but I was in Singapore” other. No eyebrows were raised when the offers Navalkar by way of Ghasiram Kotwal, a play about Chief Minister A.R. Antulay granted explanation). Nana Phadnavis, the last Peshwa, had Pune’s Theatre Academy Rs one lakh However, the first stone that set aroused much controversy when it was from the Chief Minister’s Fund to go to off the avalanche was not from the first staged in 1972. The conservative the Berlin Festival. The Academy, Prekshak Sangh but from Prabhakar BOMBAY: Oct. 7-21, 1980 V THEATRE Panshikar, the Marathi actor. It was his letter to the editor of Loksatta that satirical intentions, was it correct "to started the controversy. According to allow an inaccurate version of our Kamlakar Sarang, director of Sakha- history to reach foreign audiences? ram Binder and a spokesman for the And secondly, whatever the merits of Theatre Academy, “The whole thing the play, did the Government have the was an afterthought. The protest was right to use tax-payers’ money to subsi­ originally sparked off by the personal dise a frontal assault on a particular jealousy of certain theatre people. Pan­ community? shikar could not take up the matter With a rapidity that even the play’s earlier because he was on a tour. Maybe critics found surprising, Navalkar’s in­ they even delayed it deliberately. But I itiative snowballed. Naturally, the Shiv personally feel that Vidyadhar Sena and its supremo Bal Thackeray Gokhale, Panshikar and others found endorsed his stand, but his objections that their agitation had not much were also echoed in Delhi. Foreign strength. That is why they had to turn Minister Narasimha Rao who speaks to Thackeray and Navalkar.” fluent Marathi made his objections in Navalkar’s letter resurrected the public. Said Rao: “The play is some­ old objection about historical inaccura­ what controversial, historically inaccu­ cy but Navalkar went on to make two rate and perhaps even defamatory of new points. Firstly, he claimed, even if that famous historical personage.” we in India understood Tendulkar’s Ghasiram Kotwal: inaccurate presentation? Marathi Lobby: Navalkar and gang were unlucky however that Rao had to leave for the United Nations OFF STAGE Prekshak Sangh.” Navalkar, who knew with the matter still unresolved. From that the troupe was hiding at Santa there Information and Broadcasting Desperate Hours Cruz Airport, did not divulge this Minister Vasant Sathe who is a Mahar­ information. “Our battle is over issues, ashtrian took up the cry. As far as Sathe s the Ghasiram controversy raged not people,” he says. “I asked the was concerned the Academy ought to all over the country, Jabbar Patel, police commissioner to book anybody be stopped from going. Back in Bom­ Ahis 32 member Theatre Academythreatening Jabbar and the troupe.” bay, the wily Chief Minister, Antulay, troupe and Vijay Tendulkar spent the In fact, even while the press re­ who is a friend of Navalkar’s, refused most insecure nights of their lives. ported that the ‘warring factions’ were to take a stand. The state Government, Enraged partisan groups in Pune and getting ready to fight, the two sides met said Antulay, had no power to prevent Bombay had threatened them with informally several times—one evening, trips out of India—this was a matter physical harm, and members of the Jabbar Patel, Pramod Navalkar, and for Delhi. Privately though, the soph­ group began to go underground. Even Sharad Pawar sat up and gossiped till isticated, British-educated Antulay, Tendulkar, who is used to controversy, the early hours of the morning. who is an old-fashioned liberal, refused was reportedly shaken by the uproar. Why then did so much tension to throw his considerable weight be­ Priya, his daughter says, “I myself surround the troupe’s departure? When hind the Shiv Sena’s initiative. received several anonymous telephone they flew off, armed police ringed the Inevitably, the matter went to Mrs calls to the effect that my father would airport terminal to protect them. In Gandhi (for which there may have be brought out of the house, dead or part it was the Shiv Sena’s reputation been no need but for Rao’s exit). On alive. I was also threatened that acid that scared the actors. But it was also September 21, three days before the would be thrown an his face!” Also, the inevitable fallout from any bitter troupe’s departure, she gave her deci­ many of the troupe members received battle. No matter how high-minded sion: Ghasiram could go to Berlin. No constant calls enquiring about the exact and principled Navalkar claims to be, reasons were offered but in ‘back­ date and time of their departure to the people who supported his initiative ground’ briefings to newsmen, govern­ Berlin. have been sufficiently ignited to not ment spokesman explained that short Unusually, Shiv Sena leaders deny share his supposed disdain for violence. of actually impounding passports, the that the threats emanate from them. In fact, now, it is feared that when the Government, with the abolition of the Says Pramod Navalkar, “I did not act group returns from Berlin, its rowdier ‘P’ form, had no way of keeping in my capacity as a Shiv Sena member opponents will be waiting to give it a members of the Academy from going at at all, but as president of the Mumbai violent welcome. this stage. Certainly, it would have been an BOMBAY: Oct. 7-21, 1980 39 THEATRE ----------------------------^ ..... undiplomatic move. Posters of the play promised to circulate a fair summary of the court decision, which many legal had already gone up in Berlin. In fact, Nana Phadnavis’s historical achieve­ experts expected would go in favour of Madhuri Purandare, one of the mem­ ments among its German audiences. the Academy, was headed off by the bers of the Theatre Academy troupe “The compromise having been ironed compromise worked out by the oppos­ says that she spoke to a friend in Paris out by both sides, the Ghasiram troupe ing parties. As the Mumbai Sakaal who was actually involved with the flew off on schedule. “All’s well that pointed out in a thoughtful editorial, Berlin Festival and who expressed great ends well,” sighed a relieved Kumud we are all none the wiser for the surprise over the uncertainty of the Mehta, the drama critic who had taken Ghasiram controversy. play’s fate. Purandare believes that a on the job of defending the Academy’s None of Navalkar’s basic objec­ fairly sizeable negative reaction would interests. “A victory against bigotry”, tions have been answered. Firstly, he have been created in Berlin, had the said the Indian Express in a leading had claimed, a play that attacked a play been withheld. article and throughout the city, theatre- particular, easily identifiable commun­ And as for the leer’s grant, the people cheered the outcome. ity, ought to be banned. The standard case had become enough of a cause Questions Unanswered: But in a response among Bombay’s theatre cir­ celebre for the group to easily raise the sense, it was the worst possible solu­ cles has been to argue that works of art money from private sources even if the tion to an important problem. Ghasi­ must be judged on their own merits and grant was withdrawn. ram Kotwal has gone to Berlin all right that they are not subject to the stan­ The matter did not, however, end but not one of the significant and dards of historical accuracy demanded there. Vasant Sathe broke the conven­ deeply meaningful questions it raised of textbooks. And on its own merits, tion of collective Cabinet responsibility has been satisfactorily resolved. Even Ghasiram is a great play. According to and bitterly opposed, the trip at a press Alyque Padamsee, it is the “most out­ conference, despite the prime minis­ standing production” he has seen in ter’s decision. And in a last-ditch India. Fine, says Navalkar, who is attempt, Thackeray and Navalkar went personally friendly with Academy to court on September 22, two days members, but do we ever judge works before the group’s departure to Berlin.