Haribhai Wadgonkar's Marathi play in its Hindi version “Gadhe Ki Barat”, which was presented by I.P. Arts Society and Mask under the auspices of Dara Cultural Society at Shri Ram Centre this past week, offered hilarious moments despite flagging patches here and there.
Translated into Hindi by Ramesh Rajhans and Rajender Mehra, the play is a political satire on the ruling class which frequently resorts to slogans like alleviation of poverty solely to create an illusion among the poor people that a new egalitarian society would be brought about one day. This illusion helps the rulers to perpetuate their class interest without resistance.
To convey this thesis the playwright skilfully caricatures the mythological story of Chitra Sain who is one of the gods at the heavenly court of Indra. He earns the wrath of Indra because he is infatuated with erotic postures of the heavenly dancer Rambha and dares to seduce her. Indra curses him to become a donkey and roam the earth among mortals. However, at the appeal of Brihaspati, Indra shows a little mercy and declares that when Chitra Sain in the form of donkey marries Princess Priyadarshani, the daughter of King Satyadev, he would be freed from the curse.
The action moves from the world of humans to the abode of the gods and finally returns to the mortal realm. The play is directed by Dinesh Ahlawat, who has a long association with the late Panchanan Pathak, pioneer of Hindi theatre music and theatre activist, as his student and actor. Pathak is known for highlighting the political undertones of a play, but we find the political element diluted in most of Ahlawat's productions. In the production under review he uses farcical elements, double entendres to entertain his audience. In the process the satirical content of the play gets diluted. He has also tried to improvise a few sequences with references to current happenings and added three lyrics conceived by his team.
The play acquires dramatic thrust with the announcement of the king that his daughter would marry a person who is able to construct a bridge between the area of the super rich and that inhabited by the wretchedly poor, declaring this step would bridge the divide between the rich and the poor. The king's declaration also warns that failure to accomplish this task overnight would result in the execution of the person attempting it. Predictably, nobody comes forward. However, a poor potter meets the king, telling him that his ‘son' is ready to build the proposed bridge. The impossible is accomplished and the potter goes to the king's palace with the marriage procession. The royal guests and family members are shocked to discover a donkey as the bridegroom. The king's daughter gladly garlands him. Lo and behold, the donkey is transformed into a handsome youth — Chitra Sain now free from the curse. At this point the play takes a new turn, indicating that the ruling class has always cheated the suppressed masses.
Comic scenes
In the past this play was seen on the Delhi stage presented in a stylised form. Dinesh's production in turn is realistic, farcical and innovative. The comically effective scenes are the ones in which the king and his minister appear. Their caricatures reveal the inhuman traits of the rulers in a class society. The climactic scene is sloppily sentimental. To be effective, the director should have imparted touches of irony and satire in a restrained manner.
Ahlawat in two roles — Brihaspati and King — and Rajeev Oberoi as the minister of the king make their scenes sparkle with humour. Lucky Kataria as Kallu Potter, who treats the heavenly donkey as his own son, and Supriya Pahuja as Gangi, the quarrelsome but goodhearted wife of Kallu, bring alive the suffering, deprivations, small joys, despair and gloom of the poor, effectively managing to engage and disturb the audience.
