ELECTION 99
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Godse Play Stirs Up A Storm In New York

Aseem Chhabra in New York

Pradeep Dalvi does not have to face the censors in America but the organization that presented his new play on Godse is taking flak from many members.

Several groups that have been supporting Indo-American Arts Council were upset that the organization hosted Dalvi's play as part of its four-day event on Mahatma Gandhi that they decided to boycott the celebrations.

The new play, sponsored by the IAAC, was staged on October 3 at Manhattan's Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse, as a part of a four-day event entitled Perspectives of Gandhi. Nearly half the 700-seat theater was empty. But Aroon Shivdasani, IAAC executive-director, offers no apologies.

"I believe Dalvi's play is important," she said. "Godse's point of view is one of the perspectives of Gandhi which is the focus of our four-day program."

Dalvi, of course, is happy he can put across his views through the new play.

When many Gandhians, politicians and critics forced the Maharashtra state government to ban Dalvi's play, Nathuram Godse Speaks, the playwright planned his revenge. He wrote another play on Mahatma Gandhi's assassin, Nathuram: An Experience. He also managed to "sneak out" of India with his cast and crew to hold the play's world premiere in New York City during Gandhi's 130th birth anniversary celebration.

Dalvi described the new play as "a more aggressive and stronger piece of work from Nathuram's point of view".

Dalvi said the first play was based on the statement Godse read in court. The new play has the ghost of Godse revisit his life prior to and after Gandhi's assassination. During the two hours, Godse interacts with several people, including journalist colleagues, prison officials, guards, and even Gandhi's son Devdas, all whom are spellbound by his charisma and his steadfast conviction in his beliefs.

As played by the stage and film actor, and model, Sameer Dharmadhikari, Dalvi's new Godse is a calm, handsome and rational Christ-like figure that overshadows any presence of Gandhi and Gandhian thought. Gone is the angry young Godse that was last played earlier this summer in New York by the Bollywood character actor Paresh Rawal.

The new Godse, with his confessed love for Muslims and Hindus alike is a piece of fiction, more secular and tolerant than Gandhi himself.

This attempt by Dalvi to humanize Godse and to fictionalize historical events is bound to offend his critics. This was quite evident during the question answer session held at the end of the show. Several members of audience questioned Dalvi's judgment in playing with dates and events to explain Godse's infamous act and to make him more appealing.

The most vocal among them was the Gujarati novelist Dinkar Joshi, whose book was the source of inspiration for the Ajit Dalvi/Feroz Khan play, Mahatma vs Gandhi. The four-day IAAC Gandhi event also featured the Dalvi/Khan play.

Seeming visibly upset, Joshi pointed out that Pradeep Dalvi had changed the dates of Gandhi's last fast. According to Joshi, Gandhi started his fast on January 12, 1948, and did not break the fast until January 18. By that time the Indian cabinet led by Jawaharlal Nehru had agreed to make the controversial transfer of Rs 550 million to the Pakistani government.

In Dalvi's play, Gandhi breaks the fast on January14, the day of the Hindu holiday, Sankranti. The breaking of the fast on a religious day and the decision to release the money to Pakistan, convince Dalvi's Godse that Gandhi has to be eliminated.

Dalvi has Devdas Gandhi visiting Godse twice in prison, in an attempt to understand the man who killed his father. The first visit is held on the same evening that Gandhi is assassinated. Godse sends Devdas home saying that, as a son, he ought to be with the family mourning the loss of his father. Joshi pointed out that these visits were works of fiction.

Again in the play a young Muslim female admirer of Godse leaves flowers for him in the courthouse. Towards the end of the play Godse sends his good wishes to his fictional "sister".

Dalvi conceded that he took some theatrical liberties with facts to heighten the dramatic elements in his play. But he maintained that, overall, he has stayed true to the story of Godse.

EARLIER FEATURE:
Dalvi, Godse's Defender, Writes Off India

Next: Clinton To Push for Indo-Pak Bilateral Talks

Tell us what you think of this report