Revival of sangeet-natak by a new theatre group in Pune

The time has come for the revival of Marathi musicals or 'sangeet-natak', a traditional form of drama that had arrived on the Marathi stage eons before prose plays.

After creating waves all over the state by resuscitating the classic 'Katyar Kaljat Ghusli', renowned singer Rahul Deshpande is back with yet another classic, this time the romantic comedy- 'Sangeet Saunshay Kallol'. It is being performed by a new team- Amey Wagh, Priyanka Barve, Deepti Mate, Siddharth Menon and Sayalee Phatak- all students of Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce Pune (BMCC) and Fergusson College.

The musical has recently been launched with the primary aim of bringing the rich legacy of music and art to today's youth. With a new cast, new director and an edited script that still manages to retain the mystical charm of the 100-year-old heritage immortalised by Bal Gandharva, 'Sangeet Saunshay Kallol' is truly old wine presented in a new bottle.

"This play has an upbeat mood and a story that is not too antique. The light-hearted plot appeals to even youngsters and succeeds in sticking out in the age of modern theatre," said Rahul, who plays the role of protagonist- Ashwinsheth.

The script has been condensed to convert the five-act play into one with two acts. The number of songs has also been reduced from 67 to 16. "I wanted the screenplay to be sleek and crisp to make it an enjoyable experience for all kinds of audience.

However, the senior audience need not get disappointed as we haven't sacrificed the original spirit of the musical," said director Nipun Dharmadhikari, also a student of BMCC, who has directed many experimental plays.

The talented Barve, who plays the role of Ashwinsheth's beautiful and bubbly wife- Revati, explained about the delicate knack required to juggle between singing and acting in musicals.

"The audience of a sangeet-natak mostly comprises music lovers who come to the auditorium with a longing to listen to quality 'natya-sangeet'. So the songs in the play have an upper hand over other aspects of the performance. However, it is just as important to focus on acting as well," said Barve.

Menon, a known face in contemporary drama, added, "The songs in 'Sangeet Saunshay Kallol' are conversational and situational, so instead of being fillers in the plot, they work as dialogues and take the story forward."

Team effort is the soul of any play and the most crucial task to accomplish. But in case of 'Sangeet Saunshay Kallol', it was a cakewalk, as every performer is friends with the other.

"Our cast is like an informal group of buddies in a college art-circle. Every rehearsal is literally a picnic and working with this team is like being on a holiday. The candid coherence between us enhances the merit of our play," said Wagh.

"Being a comedy, it is necessary for us to sustain the freshness and novelty of the play in our minds. Our rehearsals are never mechanical, sometimes resulting in extemporaneous delivery of spontaneous ideas on stage!" said Mate.

The group has performed in Pune, Nashik and Thane and will be touring Konkan and Mumbai next.

"Till now, we have received an overwhelming response from elders and youngsters alike, thanks to our team members," said Deshpande.