Mahatma's own ideals
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The plays reflected the corruption in today's world.
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MAS APPEAL A still from one of the plays.
Mahatma Gandhi's 59 death anniversary had special appeal this year, thanks to the popularity of Gandhigiri, effectively preached in Lage Raho Munnabhai. This was followed by Rajamohan Gandhi's book on Mahatma that raised some dust.
So it was wonder that the state department of culture and Rutvik Nataka academy presented two plays on Mahatma at Ravindra Bharati. The plays criticised the malice present in the world today. In one of the plays, Gandhi Jayanthi, Mahatma even comes down to earth to watch his principles being mauled, as a part of the punishment meted out by Lord Yama for earning freedom for Indians. In this play, Rajaram, a living compatriot of Mahatma, dreams of Mahatma's return. What happens when the Mahatma arrived on this present political scene of India is what this play narrates with wit and wisdom. It comes to an end with Gandhiji being given a death sentence when found guilty of murdering a politician. He disappears after vouching to take many births if necessary to save this land.
Maharshi Raghava plays the role of Mahatma in this play directed by IDPL Nirmala. The other play, Bapu Cheppina Mata, simply presents him in the form of a statue in a park, which some contractors remove and shift to another place and grab that land. Well-known prolific playwright D.Vijay Bhasker has written both the plays. Here, the Mahatma's role is played by the experienced Yedida Gopala Rao, who had already made this playlet popular.
The theme concentrates on how contractors and Municipal authorities function hand in glove in grabbing a park, which has been named after Mahatma and even has his statue placed there. The play reflects the ugly corruption that exists in Municipal offices and how the corrupt officers get away with things. They even render an honest officer a helpless victim of corrupt system. Vijay Bhasker has written this one with an under current of humour and comment. Here the Mahatma is a witness of what is going on. Thus the actor playing the role of Gandhi has to freeze himself to get the look of statue and then get life to move to places. Vijay Bhasker said that he wrote Gandhi Jayanthi' as a young man after read an article on Mahatma. Both were enjoyable productions, written with a common purpose of opening our eyes. Sri Koneru Ranga Rao, Municipal Administration Minister and a Gandhian, was the chief guest at the function, who lauded the productions. Dr. C. Narayana Reddi called the plays a reflection of contemporary scene, much away from Gandhiji's principles. Akhila Art theatres of Srirnagar colony welfare committee presented Rs.20, 000 for the play Gandhi Jayanti and Rs.5, 000 for the playlet Bapu Cheppina Mata.
G.S
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