Ghasiram Kotwal – The Making of a Classic
Imagine the coming to power of an autocratic, vindictive and right wing leader who seeks to take away all those freedoms that you hold dearly. Feels familiar? No, I am not talking about current affairs, even though I may as well be. That is the premise of our upcoming play Vijay Tendulkar’s magnum opus, Ghasiram Kotwal, a grand musical about power, politics and perversion in the times of the Peshwas.
The year is 1777. The Maratha empire extends through most of India. There is a war underway with the English (the first Anglo-Maratha war) that the Marathas are winning. The upper classes are enjoying a decadent high life. Love and lavani is in the air. An infant Peshwa is on the throne and Nana Fadnavis, the finance minister is running the administration as one of the regents.
It is against this backdrop that the play’s titular character, Ghasiram Sawaldas, arrives in Pune from northern India. Initially subjected to much ridicule, rancor and racism for being “different”, he vows to take revenge on the city, and plots, baits and bribes his way to power. But will the aristocracy allow him to disrupt the status quo? Will the Machiavellian Nana allow himself to be out-manipulated?
GHASIRAM KOTWAL was written by Tendulkar as a response to the rise of the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra and explores the rise and re-rise of despots the world over. Was Ghasiram the first authoritarian to ‘rule’ Pune? Was he the last? Why did America re-elect Trump? These questions have the same answer. Or non-answer.
GHASIRAM KOTWAL is considered one of the great classics of Indian Theatre. Ever since the curtains opened for the first time in 1972 to the electrifying image of 13 bald brahmins singing, dancing and narrating the story of Ghasiram, the play has been generating strong reviews everywhere it goes. The play is written as a musical, with many iconic and memorable tracks composed by the legendary Bhaskar Chandavarkar, that we will reprise in our production as well. Our presentation of the play will also feature the beautiful and vibrant folk dances of Maharashtra like the lavani, lezim and gondhal, and transport us to Pune of the 18th century with a spectacular set inspired by Shanivar wada and beautiful costumes from that period.
Incidentally, GHASIRAM KOTWAL was to be Naatak’s very first ever production in 1996. Twenty-nine years later, we are finally ready to do justice to this behemoth of a script. Come join us as we celebrate this epic production.
Harish.
Harish Agastya
DIRECTOR
Below: a rehearsal picture from our production of Ghasiram Kotwal.
Screenshot