Navalkar bans play on Thackeray on quot;Saheb8217;s ordersquot;

MUMBAI, November 12: Pradeep Dalvi's much hyped play on Bal Thackeray, Pasaydaan, has been banned, just three days before it was scheduled t...

MUMBAI, November 12: Pradeep Dalvi8217;s much hyped play on Bal Thackeray, Pasaydaan, has been banned, just three days before it was scheduled to be premiered at Rangsharda, Bandra. Though the hagiographic play was cleared by the Script Scrutinising Committee of the government, the reason cited for the ban is Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray8217;s 8220;extreme displeasure8221; over the bio-play. Following a call from Matoshree, Cultural Affairs Minister Pramod Navalkar imposed an immediate ban on performance of the play this afternoon.

The certificate issued by the Stage Performances Scrutiny Board to the play has also been suspended after Navalkar8217;s express directives. However Navalkar did not give specific reasons for proscribing the play This move has come as a surprise to the theatre fraternity and certainly to all those associated with the play. Advertisements about the November 14 performance had been issued, tickets sold and Thackeray8217;s son, Uddhav and daughter-in-law Rashmi had not only seen the rehearsals butalso suggested few changes.

But none of this obviously met with Thackeray8217;s approval. 8220;Saheb called me this afternoon and he was extremely displeased about the entire episode. He wanted to know who gave the permission to perform the play. I told him the Scrutiny Board had approved the script and chairperson Shantaram Nandgaonkar had issued the certificate. But apparently they were misled. Dalvi told the Board that Balasaheb had read the script and approved of it. When I conveyed this to Balasaheb, he said he had neither read the script nor approved it. That8217;s when I immediately decided to get the play banned,8221; said Navalkar.

Dalvi whose earlier play Mee Nathuram Godse Boltoy was also banned, vehemently refutes the charge of misleading anyone. 8220;When I wrote Pasaydan, I had recorded audio cassettes of its excerpts and took them to Thackeray8217;s residence. In fact, the mahurat of the play was performed by Thackeray. He heard the cassettes and suggested some changes. We even incorporated the changes,8221; heclaims, adding: quot;Navalkar is in the habit of banning my plays without reading the script or watching the performance.8221; What has perplexed Dalvi is that just recently Uddhav and Rashmi Thackeray spent over three hours with members of the cast. 8220;Even senior Sena leaders told me they found the play a good propaganda vehicle for the forthcoming Assembly polls,8221; he proudly claimed. 8220;I just think that by banning this play Navalkar will harm the poll prospects of the party,8221; he said in disgust.

When contacted Scrutiny Board chairperson Shantaram Nandgaonkar said he had approved of the play because it did not have anything controversial. 8220;Dalvi had told us that Thackeray has already seen excerpts of the play and that the latter had liked it. But, today Navalkar told me that the since the play is based on a living person, Thackeray, it will need a written permission from him. Therefore, we have asked the producer of the play to get the permission from Thackeray. If he does not get it before the firstperformance, we will not allow the staging of the first show,8221; he said.Thackeray himself was unavailable for comment.