The Magic Continues

Gadhvacha Lagna with its local flavour was first showcased by Kalasangam on November 9, 1983. Woven around the characters of Sawla Kumbhar, his wife Gangi and Gandharva the prince who turns into a donkey, the play is a vagnatya comedy that makes a comment on socio-political issues.

8220;The play has drawn hordes of crowd whenever it has been staged because of its common touch,8221; says Jaymala Inamdar, wife of late Prakash Inamdar and a celebrated stage personality, who has played the character of Gangi opposite Sawla Kumbhar a character portrayed by her husband ever since the play was first staged.

Although the main plot of the play was penned by Haribhau Vadgaonkar, while the elements of Gan, Gauran and Rang Baji that add on to its folk background and precede the main plot were written by late Prakash Inamdar.

Talking about the 2500th enactment of the play, Jaymala informs 8220;This basically fulfills the dream of my husband who had always wanted that the 2500th showcasing will be held in Shaniwar wada. Also in honour of late Prakash Inamdar we at Kalasangam decided to present a donkey to a needy kumbhar family on the day of the play.8221;

With the recent demise of Prakash Inamdar, the 2500th show of the comic play, organised by Kala Sangam and Samvad saw Pradeep Patwardhan taking over the role of Sawla Kumbhar, the character that had been immortalised by the former. Reminiscing the days when her husband was alive, an emotional Jaymala says, 8220;Prakash ji was not only my husband but also my guru. He always said that the couple of Amitabh and Rekha can split up but our companionship on stage and off stage will never terminate. However this time he was not there and his absence was terribly felt,8221; adds she.

Having brought Gangi to life on stage for the past 25 years, an ecstatic Inamdar says 8220;I consider myself as more of Gangi than Jaymala. And it is Gangi8217;s innocence that makes me fall in love with the character again and again8221;

Cutting across language barriers, the play has won huge accolades in cities like Hyderabad and Bangalore apart from Maharashtra. Expressing the family8217;s emotional attachment with the play, Dhanalaxmi Inamdar, daughter of the Inamdar couple, who8217;s also a part of the play, says, 8220;Our emotional involvement with the play goes to the extent that for us donkey has become a luck charm.8221;

Having befriended the stage for 40 years now, for Jaymala Inamdar, stage is the place, which gives her the maximum pleasure. 8220;For me being on stage is the ultimate tonic of all my problems and I would like to perform till the last days of my life, 8221; concludes she.