“Ghashiram Kotwal”
-
Vijay
Tendulkar
Ghashiram Kotwal, this play written by
Vijay Tendulkar. Vijay Tendulkar was known as one of the very famous Indian
playwright.
“Grihasth” was his first play that appeared
in 1955, followed by “Silence, Court is in Session!”, Shrimant”, “Sakharam
Binder” and “Safar” in 1992. He also scripted for films giving stories of
violence, power and repression in different forms in the contemporary Indian
society.
Vijay Tendulkar famous for his bitter
satirical writing, Ghashiram was one of them. Vijay Tendulkar was very choosy
about the words. His each and every word came to represent the reality.
Tendulkar’s great strength lies in his dialogues. He indicates every moment and
it carries as much narrative force as speech, song and action.
The list of characters:
Ghashiram Kotwal Nana Phadnavis Lalita Gauri Sutradhar(Narrator) Gulabi Brahmans (chorus)
Introduction of the
characters:
1.
Ghashiram Kotwal:
Ghashiram is a Kannoj Brahmin who comes to
city of Poona to try his luck and earn his livelihood. He leaves Kannoj for
good but ends up falling a victim to hypocrisy, evilness, duality, and
corruption rampant at Poona. He comes with his wife and a young and pretty
daughter. He is not an egoist or a proud man.
2.
Nana Phadnavis:
Nana as depicted in the novel is a
womanizer from head to toe. Drenched in corruption, lechery and evil, he is a
Prince of Power and a cruel despot. In order to achieve his objectives he can
fall to any low and cares a damn even about God. From the beginning to the end
he becomes an audio visual incarnation of lust and cruelty. He is an evil
incarnate.
3.
Lalita Gauri:
Gauri is a daughter of Ghashiram Kotwal.
Gauri becomes a sacrificial goat in struggle for power. She is described as
young, pretty and innocent and falls at once a victim to Nana’s greed. Gauri is
voiceless, disempowered and victimized. She silently bore the dictates of her
father. She is the symbol of exploitation of female sexuality to represent the
loss and destruction in their struggle for power. The pathetic Gauri represents
the flip side of Indian Women especially for their use and abuse in almost all
walks of life especially politics and power.
4.
The Sutradhar:
He is the narrator, commentator and
interposer. He keeps audience abreast with the information both on stage and
off stage. He comments on the past, present and future. He holds different
moods, situations and characters in one organic whole. Sutradhar is the good
friend of protagonist- Ghashiram. The Sutradhar is bold and fearless enough in
stalking the Brahmins in the opening scene and constantly question them to
extract the truth.
Ghashiram Kotwal: A Critique:
It is deals with the “History of Maratha
Samrajya”. Though Vijay Tendulkar denied but it is highly represent the
history. Nana Phadnavis has been portrayed in dark shade who as per the
chroniclers was an able administrator and shrewd politician who with his
presight kept the Maratha Empire integrated for more than 20 years. Even in
“Bajirav Mastani” film Nana sahib Peshwa portrayed very cunning and shrewd.
The religiosity, sex, and power often go
hand in hand. Nana purchases sex by dissipating power into the hads of a humiliated
man who is starved of power. Morality and God are the strengths of the weak.
Sexuality especially the female sexuality
has been used to represent loss and destruction in struggle for power. The
Poona Brahmins who represent the different places of India are degenerated and
morally bankrupt. They are hypocrite, clever schemers. Instead of treading the
path of spirituality they visit the prostitutions. They do not see the
difference between a Kirtan and a Lavani. For them it is invariably the same. The
Sutradhar inhis Lampoon describes the gardens of Krishna at Mathura descend on
to Bavannakhani.
Poona prahmans go
To Bavannakhani…
They go to the cemetery.
They go to the Kirtan.
They go to the Temple-as they have done every
day.
The street of Bavanna became for a while.
The garden of Krishna.
The garden of Hir
The garden of saras
The garden of Moti
The garden of Poona
Become the gardens of Mathura
Where Krishna played.
Nana with his insatiable desires for sex
and with his numerous wives parodies Lord Krishna.
Theme of POWER:
The complexity of religion, power, and sex
lies in this play – The Ghashiram Kotwal. The power and overpowering goes on at
the beginning. Ghashiram came to Poona city to achieve his livelihood but every
time he defeated or humiliated by the power. Thus, he came to the point that if
he wants to sustain himself he has the power. NANA means POWER itself. See the
description:
The night progresses
The night progresses
And the Peshwa’s Chief Minister,
Nana of the nine courts,
Nana of the Wealth and Power,
Nana Phadnavis.
Another line was that indicates the power of
Nana:
Nana sits on a high seat. All are below him.
Nana ogles the women. Smells the flower. Does not pay attention to the kirtan.
Now his only wish to be powerful. He
wants to be Kotwal at any coast. He wants to take his revenge. See the
dialogues after humiliated by the solders of Nana:
Ghashiram: (takes off his sash, throws it on
the ground). “But I’ll comes back. I’ll come back to Poona. I’ll show my strength.
It will cost you! Your good days are gone! I am a useless animal. There is no
one to stop me now, to mock me, to make me bend, to cheat me. Now I am a
devil.”
“You’ve made me an animal; I’ll be a devil
inside. I’ll come back like a boar and I’ll stay as a devil. I’ll make pigs of
all of you. I’ll make this Poona a kingdom of pigs. Then I’ll be Ghashiram
again, the son of Savaldas once more.”
To getting power he used his daughter as a
tool which Nana craving more at any cost. Through this he got power and becomes
the kotwal of Poona city but he used the power negatively. Nana was very
cunning and shrewd power politician. He knows how to use the power. What he say
after giving the power to Ghashiram Kotwal:
Nana: (suddenly brightening). Go, Ghashya, old
bastard. We made you. We made you kotwal. Raise hell if you wish. But you don’t
know the ways of this Nana. This time there are two bullets in this gun. With
the first one, we’ll make the city of Poona dance. Ghashya, child, you’re a
foreigner. I have put you on Poona’s Back. What’ll happen is that our misdeeds
will be credited to your account. We do it; our Kotwal pays for it.
Another thing is that here in the play
Brahmins have the power and it is used by them in very satirical way. Second is
about the WOMEN that they haven’t any kind of power and they suppressed or
oppressed by the power. They are become the victims of the power.
Thus, power remains at the center.
Whatever happen it is because of the power and whatever done by Nana it is
because of the power.
Feminism or Female sexuality as perceived in the play:
The female role in politics of power is
limited only to surrender, acceptance and suffering. The position of Indian
Women at the very beginning has been in a very pathetic condition. They are in
marginal position. Gauri is representing the Indian women. Gauri is voiceless,
powerless and victimized. She does not have a say even in a matter relating to
her. She silently accepts what her father decides for her even though it meant
passing through a living hell or a life of eternal damnation. She is the symbol
of exploitation of female sexuality to represent the loss and destruction in
their struggle for power.
Second is Gulabi. - Gulabi is no better
though she wields some power and is financially well off she too has to dance
to the tunes of her customers and Nana. She cannot think earn her livelihood
without satisfying the sexual overtures of her customers.
Third is Nana’s Wives – Nana’s wives are
mute spectators to the sexual rendezvous of their husbands
Violence against women and violation of
human rights of women are rampant and this is pictured well in Ghashiram Kotwal.
Conclusion:
Ghashiram Kotwal though uncouth and rough
is a man of action. He is not an idealist or a visionary. He belongs to our
present lower rung of the police officials who may not necessarily be good
administrators are the best for the field job that he does par excellent.
