A Sea Through

Renowned Marathi actor Neena Kulkarni turns to direction by reviving 'Mahasagar',a Marathi theatre classic.

When acclaimed Marathi play ‘Mahasagar’ debuted in August 1979 with Nana Patekar,Vikram Gokhale,Neena Kulkarni,Bharti Achrekar and Mohan Bhandari,it met with success and popularity. The play,originally directed by Vijaya Mehta,had a long run of 1000 shows over a span of five years. For the star cast of the play,like Kulkarni,’Mahasagar’ was no less than a crash course in theatre. As she puts it,”With this play I learnt to love what I did; ‘Mahasagar’ is in my blood. This sheer passion for the play written and staged 30 years back,motivated her to revive it for the Marathi theatre audience. This time,as a director and not as ‘Champu’,the role she essayed under Mehta’s direction. It is quite thrilling to be able to return to it. For me,it is a journey backwards in so many ways,” says Kulkarni,who has acted extensively in Hindi and Marathi theatre as well as films.

However,turning towards direction,she says,has been an eye-opener for her. “I didn’t know what I was getting myself into then. The producer Neelam Shirke had casually asked me that given an opportunity,which play I would like to direct. I instantly replied,’Mahasagar’,since it is always been there at the back of my mind,” explains Kulkarni. To her surprise,Shirke gave her a go-ahead.

Kulkarni admits that it is now that she understands the vastness of direction. “Earlier,I was just focussed on playing Champu but now I have to keep an eye on the story,the actors,the lighting and everything that goes in to a play. But this opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time. Though I’m busy with other acting projects,I’ve noticed that the kind of work available for actors in Marathi theatre right now,is not very exciting and I hope this project will change things,” she adds.

‘Mahasagar’ is scheduled to open on August 3 in Thane,Mumbai first. It will then travel to 17 cities of Maharashtra such as Pune,Aurangabad,Nashik,Kolhapur,Sholapur,followed by Goa. The play will be held in Pune on August 11.

In the current revival of the play,Subodh Bhave will be reprising Nana Patekar’s role as the protagonist,an insurance agent in Mumbai. The other cast includes Shailesh Datar,Sulekha Talwalkar,Shrikant Desai,Asha Lata,Shrijit Marathe, Mahesh Manjarekar and Vandana Marathe. This time around,the role of ‘Champu’ will be essayed by Anita Date,who was chosen by Shirke and Kulkarni.

While every attempt has been made to keep Jaywant Dalvi’s original script intact,Kulkarni says she went a different route while casting for the new version. The original ‘Mahasagar’ cast included a young cast,all of whom were in their 20s. Kulkarni is casting older actors in her version,to better suit the plot,which explores the lives of people between the ages 35 to 45. “I thought it would be better to cast older actors who fit in the story’s age group. It also helps that they are all mature,experienced actors which makes rehearsals easier,” she elaborates.

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