Nehru: Close and Personal

Pt Jawaharlal Nehru,Indias first Prime Minister,lived his life in the glare of the public eye. Even his private life has been acutely researched,documented and commented upon. Recently,a new play,Nehru: His Inner Story,that was staged in New Delhi,brought on stage vignettes from his private life. He loved to throw parties,and often had get-togethers at his home, says Premila Le Hunte,a former Tory politician now based in Delhi,who has directed the play.

In the production,Nehru,played by Delhi-based actor Dilip Shankar,speaks about his life and times,his days in solitary imprisonment,his joy upon Indias Independence,his despair at Mahatma Gandhis death,and his love for children. A special segment explores his relationships with women: with his wife Kamala,his daughter Indira,his friend Sarojini Naidu,and Edwina Mountbatten. In one sequence,he speaks lovingly about Kamala and compares her to Tagores Chitrangada,a symbol of beauty and love.

Le Huntes narrative has been collected largely from Nehrus personal writings. I have given Jawaharlal the chance to talk about himself. Twice in the narrative,he asks the audience to judge him and admits to having made mistakes. My attempt was to reveal the man behind the politician, says Le Hunt,who is in her 70s and whose close association with Nehrus sister Vijayalaxmi Pandit at Cambridge University led to her interest in Nehrus life.

Le Hunte,who was Britains first Asian woman to contest for Parliament on a Tory ticket in 1983,talks animatedly about going to parties with Vijayalaxmi and listening to her talk about family. Nehrus monologue in the play has been developed from his own writings,so that they become his own words.

Poetry,music and dance are interspersed to demonstrate Nehrus love for the arts. This is Nehru as I see him,a gentleman in a sherwani,whose side of the story I wanted to tell, says Le Hunte.