Plays like Satish Alekar's MAHAPUR keep Marathi theatre not just alive but kicking. The story of one man in this play exhibits the struggles and problems of an entire generation. The story revolves around Govind Raghunath Kawthekar, an idealist whose ideas are in complete contrast with his reality. He loves his childhood friend Sulabha passionately and assumes that the feelings are mutual. The girl although she likes Govind a lot is about to get married to another man for financial reasons. Govind at one level understands Sulabha's feelings, but they are still unacceptable to him.
Govind's love for Sulabha is as profound as his hatred towards his parents. Born out of the mob behavior in the late 1940's independence movement, Govind feels his parents were more trend followers than real freedom fighters. After the independence these rebels are left without a cause, education and money.
It isn't often that we think about how it must have been for people who actually followed a Nehru or a Gandhi. Or of the motivation and the passion, or even the lack of it that had people leaving their lives as they knew to get involved in a nation-wide struggle. It isn't often that we think was it really love for their country that made such men and women go to prisons or take up arms? Or was it just the euphoria of the moment, or the seductive words of a powerful leader that lured them into such actions? And what became of them once they lost their reason to struggle? What happened when they were told to pick up their lives, start taking decisions and create their future all by themselves?
Govind's parents appear to do what they did, not out of for real passion but because it was what everyone else was doing. After independence they were thus left with nothing but empty stories of old glory, which they thought was their children's right to respect. However, this contradiction is what creates the generation gap between such parents and their children. Govind who has been incessantly listening to stories of prison, struggles and honesty since childhood, had also seen his father accepting bribe while growing up. Govind's 'Mahapur' is this incessant conflict of thoughts and actions.
Kudos to both, the playwright Satish Alekar and the director Aniruddha Khutwad for making this play with the honesty and simplicity that they did. Padmanabh Bind, as Govind was without a doubt the show stopper in the play. For any actor the biggest compliment would be that the audience could feel the emotions played out by him on stage. I would like to pay this compliment to Bind, for the audience laughed with him, and cried for him.
Dhanesh Potdar as Govind's father, Raghunath Datto was excellent in his role. He flitted between his youth and his old age, and also in the role of a lawyer with a finesse that only the finest of actors can possess. He made the characters come alive on stage with great conviction and skill.
Neelima Deshpande as Sulabha was one of the two weak links of the play. Her performance was not strong by any standards and when enacted with actors like Bind, it looked more inept. Music should also have been used more carefully. It kept drowning the character's voices and its charm was thus robbed.
Vaishali Vaishampayan, as Govind's mother does justice to her role. Aniruddha Khutwad as Isam has done well too. Shardul Saraf as Chidgupkar and judge is as convincing as anyone could be, and is a treat to watch.
The light design by Niranjan Gokhale does full justice to the world of Govind Ragunath's Mahapur. Set design by Dhanesh Potdar helps in transforming the various locations in the play with minimal effort. If you truly wish to make one evening of your life more meaningful, and entertaining as well then you must see this play.
*Pooja Gautam is a business journalist who enjoys theatre.
