Ghashiram Kotwal - Play by Vijay Tendulkar
Welcome readers! As a Part of my Bachelor's studies at Shamaldas Arts college, affiliated with MK Bhavnagar university. In this Particular blog, I will discuss Vijay Tendulkar's Play - 'Ghashiram Kotwal' offering a comprehensive analysis enriched with additional insights.
Ghashiram Kotwal is a Marathi play written by playwright Vijay Tendulkar in 1972 as a response to the rise of a local political party, in Maharashtra. The play is a political satire, written as historical drama. It is based on the life of Nana Phadnavis (1741–1800), one of the prominent ministers in the court of the Peshwa of Pune and Ghashiram Kotwal, the police chief of the city. Its theme is how men in power give rise to ideologies to serve their purposes, and later destroy them when they become useless. It was first performed on 16 December 1972, by the Progressive Dramatic Association in Pune. Jabbar Patel's production of the play in 1973 is considered a classic in Modern Indian Theatre.
Ghashiram Kotwal ( English translation by Jayant Karve and Eleanor Zelliot) was first performed in the original Marathi on December 16, 1972, by the progressive Dramatic Association at the Bharat Natya Mandir in Pune. It was directed by Jabbar Patel and the role of Ghasiram was played by Ramesh Tilekar while Mohan Agashe played by Nana Phadnavis. The play was banned on the grounds that it was anti - Brahman and gave an inaccurate picture of the historical figure of Nana Phadnavis. The play was Popular, controversial and always contemporary. The Play has been produced in many indian languages. It continues to be a popular play.
Ghashiram Kotwal exists at the nexus of theater, politics, and power. The play might seem too entertaining to some, too experimental to others, or far too political to others still. Thoughtfully, Ghashiram Kotwal finds its expression through the traditional performance practices, folk theater, and the experimental theater that strongly emerged in post-independence India. It has a coherent structure, impactful spectacle of scenes, flexible settings, and well-choreographed movements. Its form emerges from the human actions through singing, dancing, breaking into grouping and regrouping, and it uses the device of the sutradhar or the narrator to connect the different episodes in the story. This was unlike other plays written at that time or before.
About Vijay Tendulkar :-
He was born on january 6th, 1928 into a Brahmin family in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. He left school at the age of fourteen because he was involved with Gandhi's anti - British quit India movement. He read voraciously, attended numerous theater performances, and began writing for newspapers. In the early 1970s, he turned to cinema, writing screenplays in what became India's new wave cinema movement.
Vijay Tendulkar is an eminent Marathi Playwright, screenwriter, essayist and Journalist. Many awards have marked his long and illustrious career. He received the Maharashtra state government Award nine times. During 1974 - 1975, he was a recipient of the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship and his project included a study of 'The Pattern of Growing Violence in society and its Relevance to contemporary Theatre.' As Tendulkar's Plays show, he is an individual deeply immersed in his times. His concern with all forms of oppression in society and within the family,his strong visual sense, tightly designed plots and profound sense of theatrical space, and a sure insight into dramatic characterization makes him an important figure in the Indian theatre scene.
In most of his plays, Vijay Tendulkar has tried to highlight the problems faced by man and women in the society. In his observations, whatever he finds illegal, not proper and imbalanced and deformed he has tried his best to expose those problems through his plays using satirical methods to cure the society from such types of burning problems. His plays are useful for both reading and stage performance.
About the Play :-
'Ghashiram Kotwal' is political Allegory. This play has also much social significance. The story of the play has been taken from the peshwai Empire. Ghashiram a Kannaujiya Brahmin comes in search of Job in poona and he is ill - treated by the Brahmins of poona and he swears that he will take revenge at any rate and he will make the city of poona the city of pigs. To fulfill his desires he sells his newly blossomed girl, Lalita Gauri to Nana Phadnavis, in exchange of the post of kotwal of Poona city.
Historical Context :- The play is set in Poona during the last years of the rule of the Peshwa Baji Rao n and his Chancellor Nana Phadnavis. Once when he makes Ghashiram the kotwal, and again at the end when he throws Ghashiram to the mob. One of the reasons stated for the banning of the play by the President of the Progressive Theatre Association was that the audience would not take kindly to the legendary figure of Nana being shown as debauched and evil, & Ghashiram, as Tendulkar himself tells us, was a minor figure of that period and therefore offers great scope to the playwright to flesh him out to suit the play’s representation of socio-political issues of our time.
The Brahmans were the most privileged of the various classes in Poona during this period, since they were also the class in power. While the government formulated a strict code of behaviour for them it also assured that they enjoyed the highest social status. They were granted a great deal of license and this is probably one of the incidental issues that attracted Tendulkar’s, allowing him to show that decadence could very well be the result of undeserved or excessive privilege. In the play, an interesting aspect of their prominence is seen, as there is almost total absence of the other castes. On being questioned about the historicity of the play, Tendulkar’s very firmly states: This is not a historical play. It is a story, in prose, verse, music and dance set in a historical era. Ghashiram are creations of socio-political forces which know no barriers of time and place. Although based on a historical legend, I have no intention of commentary on the morals, or lack of them, of the Peshwa, Nana Phadnavis, or Ghashiram.’ On being asked whether the play sought to expose Brahman corruption and pretensions, he replied, ‘The decadence of the class in power (the Brahmans, incidentally, during the period which I had to depict) also was incidental, though not accidental.’
Since Ghashiram Kotwal continues to be a popular play, Tendulkar has commented on it in various contexts. At one point he says, ‘Ghashiram started with a theme, then came the specific ‘story’ or incident which was historical.’ Also pertinent to the theme of the play is his statement: ‘I had in mind the emergence, the growth, and the inevitable end of the Ghashiram; also those who create, and help Ghashiram to grow; and the irony of stoning to death a person pretending that it is the end of Ghashiram.’ Written and performed in the years leading up to the Emergency, which is considered to be the darkest period in the history of independent India, when the basic freedoms - to act, speak and think - became casualties, the play’s depiction of absolute authority unleashed on the people must now appear to have been prophetic. When we speak of historical context, therefore, it is as necessary to be aware of the play’s actual historical background, as it is important to recall when it was written and performed, and to be sensitive to the context in which it comes to us with each new performance.
List of Characters :-
1. Ghashiram Kotwal
2. Nana Phadnavis
3. Lalita Gauri
4. Sutradhar ( narrator)
5. Gulabi
6. Brahmans ( Chorus)
Themes :-
1. Theme of Power :- The complexity of religion, power, and sex lies in this play - Ghashiram Kotwal. The Power and overpowering goes o at the beginning. Ghashiram came to poona city to achieve his livelihood but everytime he is humiliated and defeated by power. Thus, he came to the point that if he wants to sustain himself he has the power. Below line from the play indicates the power of Nana Phadnavis.
'Nana sits on a high seat. All are below him. Nana ogles the women.
smells the flower. Does not pay attention to the kirtan.'
2. Marginalization and Social Hierarchies:- The play delves into the marginalization of low-caste individuals, like Ghashiram, and their struggle to navigate the rigid social hierarchies of the time. It explores how the Brahmin class exploits and oppresses the lower castes, denying them access to power and opportunity.
3. Hypocrisy and Moral Decay:- "Ghashiram Kotwal" exposes the hypocrisy and moral decay within the Brahmin community and the Peshwa administration. It highlights the disconnect between the public façade of piety and the private indulgence in vices and unethical practices.
4. Revenge and Retribution :-The play centers around Ghashiram's quest for revenge against the Brahmin elite, particularly the Nene family, for the humiliation and injustice he has faced. It explores the cycle of violence and the consequences of Ghashiram's actions, which ultimately lead to his downfall.
Thus, Vijay Tendulkar's Play "Ghashiram Kotwal" offer a sharp critique of the power structures, social hierarchies, and moral decay prevalent in the Peshwa-ruled Poona, providing a compelling and thought-provoking theatrical experience.
Conclusion :-
To conclude, Ghashiram Kotwal is a powerful cautionary tale about the corrupting influence of power. Vijay Tendulkar's complex and nonlinear narrative forces the audience to confront the moral ambiguities that arise when individuals seek to exploit societal structures for their own gain. The play's portrayal of Ghashiram's downfall serves as a stark warning about the dangers of unchecked greed and the human capacity for cruelty. Ultimately, Ghashiram Kotwal stands as a seminal work of Indian theater that continues to resonate with audiences through its exploration of timeless themes of corruption and the abuse of authority.
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