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Journalism of Courage
It’s a woman’s word!
The written word is meant to be read, not listened to. But with the enterprise of the local group Sangawa (the brainchild of the trio Sandhya Dabholkar, Satish Kamat and Rekha Inamdar-Sane), serious writings in Marathi now find themselves on digitally-recorded audio cassettes, helping those who are not too adept at reading the language. The third endeavour of this group, titled `Ti’chi Katha (roughly translated as `a story of her’), is now out on the stands. A collection of seven stories, it is an all-women album, featuring Vasundhara Patwardhan, Jyotsna Devdhar, Asha Bage, Gauri Deshpande, Saniya, Priya Tendulkar and Urmila Pawar. While the album includes the works of these authoresses, the performing artistes, who have lent their voice, include Sonali Kulkarni, Shrirang Godbole, Gauri Lagoo.
Though each story is unique in topic and its treatment, there is a common underlying theme – problems women have faced at different times in different ways. “These stories portray adefinite step towards empowerment of women. Each depicts women and their conditions from various strata of society,” explains Dabholkar. Judging from the positive response the earlier two volumes (a short-story collection and a compilation of Dr Anil Awachat’s articles) have received, it seems that the concept of serious words pouring into your ears rather than meeting your eye is definitely catching on!
A roaring success
Sparkling performances, detailed costumes and functional but well-designed sets – the stage performance of George Bernard Shaw’s Androcles and the lion at Balgandharva Rangmandir on Friday evening had the audience, mostly school children, laughing and clapping for more.
Directed by Naseeruddin Shah, the fable play of the Greek tailor Androcles, whose kind deeds help him in his hour of need, was brought alive on stage by Motley, a Mumbai-based theatre group in aid of Mobile Creches, Pune. The skillful use of spotlights and background sounds, and of course, the actorsthemselves dressed in eye-catching costumes, helped create the mood for the play. Above all, it was the cute and cuddly lion, played ably by Karla Singh, that stole the show with its frolicsome antics. The sets, formed by a scaffolding which doubled as a staircase, and the scenery designed like a book so that each new scene was depicted by the turning of the pages, lent atmosphere to the play.
Set in the backdrop of Caesar’s Rome, at a time when Christians were persecuted, the plot revolves around a Greek tailor Androcles who, moved by the plight of a lion wounded by a thorn in its foot, pulls it out. This deed is to stand him in good stead later when he is thrown to the same lion in the Roman arena with an ineffectual Caesar, played to hilarious effect by Naseeruddin Shah, looking on. Moved by the friendly relationship between the two, Caesar grants them their freedom but not before being chased and bullied by the lion, much to the delight of the audience. The plot, though gripping in its action-packedsequences, did drag during the more serious and wordy scenes. The dialogues, laced with Shavian wit, and the action, especially that involving the lion, elicited laughter from an appreciative crowd. The play was indeed a treat to watch.
Naseeruddin Shah-bash!
The overpacked Nehru Memorial Hall was testimony to Naseeruddin Shah’s amazing drawing power. Not only is the actor known for his acting prowess, but he never fails to please. At Motley’s Dear Liar, which explores, through letters, the relationship between G B Shaw and actress Stella Campbell, Shah’s enactment of an old Shaw deserves special mention. For while the clothes got modern, it was his body posture, besides the expression, that convinced people of `Shaw’s’ age. The slight slouch, the quivering voice…no one would believe that it was a 40-something on stage. Ratna Pathak Shah’s Campell was convincing even if her arthritis did slip up once, but that was not the case with Naseeruddin Shah. If that’s what method acting does, his methodsshould probably get patented.
You’ve heard of boutiques giving discounts on their clothes, having sales, but a boutique giving free rides? At Koregaon Park, one can chance upon this auto-rickshaw that has a message pasted on its rear, which says `Anyone in Koregaon Park will get a free ride to Izizi Boutique in this rickshaw.’ The boutique, situated at North Main Road, is run by a foreigner and caters mainly to the Oshoites. And given the latter’s road sense, maybe this free ride is more a necessity than a novel marketing strategy.
(Contributed by Rasika, Sunanda, Aishwarya and Namita)
