Raja Shivchhatrapati, a play on Maratha king Shivaji Maharaj, will return to Delhi after a gap of four years, said BJP leaders. BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said the culture ministry in association with Pune-based organisation Maharaja Shivchhatrapati Pratishthan has planned five shows at Red Fort ground starting from November 2. Babasaheb Purandare’s famous play was first shown in 1985 in Pune and since then performed over 1,100 stages across India and abroad, including the United States and England. Purandare wrote the play originally in Marathi after extensive research. Tiwari said, "We are celebrating the festival of freedom. It is a matter of pride for us that our great men have sacrificed their lives to preserve the cultural heritage of India. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj infused new energy in the minds of the countrymen. society will learn by looking at the life of that great man who laid the foundation for Navbharat." A senior BJP leader said the time and place of the event are significant in many ways. The MCD elections are in the minds of the leaders and the staging of the play on Shivaji, who laid the foundation of Hindavi Swaraj in the country, is a clear sign that work has begun to make Hindutva one of the electoral considerations in Delhi, he said. He said that preparations have begun at the venue and adequate arrangements are being done to accommodate around 800 people. Around 250 artists, including 150 local actors and technicians, will be part of the event, he added.
