Ghashiram Kotwal by Vijay Tendulkar

“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.