Playwright Satish Alekar’s latest work talks about liberal democratic spaces shrinking since 2014

He wrote the play during the pandemic – strengthening the autobiographical elements since the playwright and his protagonist are locked in their houses and venting their concerns about the nation—and it was his first play to be published before it could be staged. The English-language translation is by Shanta Gokhale and titled ‘A Conversation with Dolly’. Thakishi Samvaad will be staged at Shreeram Lagoo Rang-Avakash, Jyotsna Bhole Auditorium Building, from May 10-14.

The playwright, a product of Nehruvian India, has traced the evolution of various aspects of India through milestone plays, such as Begum Barve, about a female impersonator who plays small roles in Marathi theatre in the early 20th century, and Mahanirvan, which upends ideas of death by being a musical farce.

Thakishi Samvaad has been read out at cultural events after the lockdown was lifted but this is the first time it is being staged. Alekar, the formidable name behind Lalit Kala Kendra, is happy that the “young next-generation performers” are interested in his play. Thakishi Samvaad has been directed by Anupam Barve and features Suvrat Joshi and Girija Oak in the lead roles.

Alekar’s last play was Ek Diwas Mathakade, which was about a man who is in search of a guide since his father had not lived up to the role. Since then, the playwright has watched artistic discourse change its colour and contour. In February, ABVP stopped a play on the Ramleela at Lalit Kala Kendra and Dr Pravin Bhole, the head of the department of the Lalit Kala Kendra, and five students were arrested.

“There has always been resistance towards artistes. There was fear when we were in our twenties and went through controversies with Ghasiram Kotwal and Sakharam Binder. That fear was understandable and was communicated to us. We could discuss across the table, vent our anger at the table to anyone who liked the play or did not. That is not the case nowadays. If you are not all on a certain side, you are branded as an anti-national or an urban naxal. There is no dialogue with the other side, which is very sad,” says the playwright who has voted every time and will be at the booth to cast his ballot this time as well.