Interspersing Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore

The play is based on exchanges of letters and articles between Gandhi and Tagore with the freedom movement as the backdrop. Photo: Mumit M.

On August 27, 1941, soon after the death of Rabindranath Tagore, Jawaharlal Nehru wrote to author Krishna Kripalani:
“Gurudev and Gandhiji…..their message was for the world. And yet both were hundred percent India's children and inheritors, representatives and expositors of her age-long culture… The surprising thing is that both of these men with so much in common and drawing inspiration from the same wells of wisdom and thought and culture should differ from each other so greatly. No two persons could probably differ so much as Gandhiji and Tagore.”
While there appeared to have been some “personality conflicts” between India's two giants, the two shared soft hearts, mutual respect and an overflowing friendship. This is clearly apparent in the play “The Bapu and the Poet”, produced by Bangalore Little Theatre, from Bangalore, India.
Indira Gandhi Culture Centre, High Commission of India, brought the play to Dhaka. The play was staged at the National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, on November 18. Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith inaugurated the programme as chief guest. Among others, acting High Commissioner of India Sanjay Bhattacharya was present.
“The Bapu and the Poet” is based on exchanges of letters and articles between Gandhi and Tagore over about 25 years with the freedom movement as the backdrop. The exchange from actual correspondence is interspersed with imaginary dialogue, but based on historical facts.
The concept and compilation of the first manuscript was by Shailesh Parekh (now published as Gandhi Vs Tagore by Viswa Bharati, Kolkata, 2010). The compilation was based on comprehensive archival research by Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, former Vice Chancellor of Visva Bharati University. The play script for the stage was developed by Vijay Padaki.
The experimental play adopted a minimalist design, mainly emphasising the dialogue between the two great personalities, rather than realism in stage décor. In line with this approach the actors emphasised the content of the letters, rather than any attempt to portray Gandhi or Tagore. Philosophical contents, political thoughts, religious views, thoughts on social reforms, concerns vis-a-vis Bengal, oppression of the British rulers, poetic debates and many other aspects come forth as the subject matter of the letters as well as the play.
As the design was minimal, the troupe used only half of the National Theatre Hall stage as the performance space, with a large black cloth against the backdrop. There were two prints of photos of the great persons on stage. Gandhi's portrait was on the right, in front of which, the performer depicting Tagore was seated and vice versa.
A narrator was on the stage, created the link between the actors. As the play was conversational, the actors had little to do with their performance skills. The judgement or evaluation of acting is a mere statement; nevertheless, the conversational play came alive with their smart presentation of dialogues. The play was in English.
Madhu Smriti Shukla played as the narrator, while Anshul Pathak and Shashank Purushotham explored the lives of Gandhi and Tagore respectively.
Preetam Koilpillai did the music, which mainly articulates the tunes of Tagore scores. Pryalakshmi Rao was the stage manager. The duration of the play was about 90 minutes.
Bangalore Little Theatre was set up in 1960. It has a strong reputation in translations and adaptations, and in promoting play writing activity since the seventies.
“Bapu and the Poet” was first staged at Gandhiji's Sabarmati Ashram on January 30, 2009. Subsequently it was also staged at Shantiniketan and on the courtyard stage of Tagore's home in Jorashanko, Kolkata. The play was staged earlier in Bangladesh in 2010.