Making of the Mahatma

But Mahatma Gandhi has fascinated the Indian people since the time he broke into the political arena in 1915. His charkha, his satyagraha and most importantly his ability to rouse a nation into independence without picking up arms is an epic tale that would fascinate theatrewallas anywhere. Then, can his own people ignore the Mahatma — the statesman, the man.

"Gandhi will always be relevant. Even after a hundred years. Theatre is just a part of the total system," says Chandrakant Kulkarni, whose Marathi directorial venture, Gandhi Viruddh Gandhi, played to packed houses and was later produced in Hindi, Gujarati and English.

Lata Narvekar, the producer of Gandhi Ambedkar, too "realised the commercial value of the subject" which is why she went ahead with the play. "Gandhi is growing more and more relevant with every passingday, when multinationals have flooded the Indian market," says Chetan Datar, the director of Gandhi Ambedkar.

And while they agree on the enduring image of Gandhi, the three theatre stalwarts chose to focus on three very different aspects of Bapu’s life. In Gandhi Viruddh.., the audience watched the battle between a son whose father has given birth to a nation and a father who has no time for his own flesh and blood. The same audience watched in wonder Gandhi Ambedkar, where India’s greatest statesmen took intractable stands. And today, the same audience is trying to understand Godse.

"Gandhi’s life is like an open book, we know all about the man — his life style, his celibacy, his thoughts, even his diet," says Kulkarni. And that intimate knowledge provides fodder for theatrical activity.

"My play essentially focuses on the stormy period of his life, on the strained relationship he had with his first born, Harilal," says Kulkarni. And yet it does not alienate the man from themasses. What reaches the audience is a lesson in stoicism. "Gandhi could have lived in a three-piece suit instead of a pancha; he could have got his son, who wished to be a barrister, a scholarship but he didn’t. This is very relevant to us when corruption is eating into the system," says Narvekar.

There is also a certain reverence in the way the subject has been handled. Gandhi’s life may have moments of high drama but they do not allow it to degenerate into melodrama. Even Mi Nathuram…. Says Narvekar, "Nathuram was recognised only because he killed Gandhi. Gandhi is the real hero."

Nevertheless, the other side of the coin is also flipped and left face open. "To err is human. Gandhi too may have committed mistakes," says Narvekar, referring to the historical controversy over the Rs 55 crore that were given away to Pakistan. Narvekar says that she has used the stage to put forth a certain set of values that both Gandhi and Ambedkar stood for. "He has become an icon like Krishna, relevant for alltimes and open for interpretations and reinterpretations," says Datar. And in understanding him we can only understand ourselves better.