Vijay Tendulkar used to work with newspapers like Maratha and Loksatta in the late 1960s. But, he was not known as a crusading journalist. He was known more for his columns and creative writing. He once told me that his journalistic duties were limited to editing features — a job that gave him his livelihood.
That was the beginning of the 1970s. His play, Shantata! Court Chalu Ahe (Silence! The Court Is In Session) had caused a stir when it was first staged in 1967. There were angry debates. Yet, these debates were mostly civil. His delightful play, Ashi Pakhare Yeti, was a hit and was staged about 1,000 times.
At the beginning of the new decade, however, Tendulkar’s brand of existentialism began to become visible in Marathi theatre as he penned Sakharam Binder, Ghashiram Kotwal, and Gidhade (Vultures). That heralded a stormy era in Marathi theatre.
Ghashiram, set in 18th century Pune, raised a row as it was considered anti-Brahmin. Another reason for the ire of the conservatives was the play depicted Nana Phadnavis, principal adviser to the Peshwas, in bad light. A third reason was that the theme distorted a ‘glorious period’ of Maratha history.
The play was presented at a time when political violence was growing in Maharashtra with the rise of the Shiv Sena. It depicted how politicians exploited every situation to their advantage and mercilessly dumped those who helped them rise. Years later, Tendulkar fans saw in Ghashiram similarities with the events of the Emergency.
It was a turbulent period for Marathi theatre. Ghashiram was banned for a while, but after the ban was lifted, the play bounced back to gain fame outside Maharashtra and even beyond India. Gidhade was another play that depicted violence among greedy members of a family lacking traditional values. It shocked the conservatives.
Demonstrations were staged outside theatres. A cultural brigade, promoted by established theatre companies, forced the censor board to change the script. The censorship battles left theatre-goers amused. For instance, the censors objected to a red blood spot on the backside of a female character whose foetus gets aborted because of a kick to her abdomen. The producer agreed not to display the red spot and was allowed to stage the play. But, the show’s advertisements in the Marathi press advised audiences to treat a blue mark on the character's backside as a red blood mark of abortion! The censors were left red-faced.
Sakharam Binder (the title role was essayed by Nilu Phule) was about a bookbinder who defied the social code of marriage as he gave shelter to deserted young women. The play became a landmark in Marathi theatre, but it upset the moralists who raised a hue and cry about its theme and its language. The producers and actors had to face violent reactions everywhere and the play was the subject of a protracted legal battle.
The writer is former professor and head, Department of Communication and Journalism, University of Pune
