Ghasiram Kotwal by Vijay Tendulkar

Ghasiram Kotwal is a play by Vijay Tendulkar. It is about power politics. It is frightening that Ghasiram gives his daughter Gauri to Nana Phadanvis to become a Kotwal.

The play is written in simple language but its satire, dark humour, concept and content are miraculous.

How Ghasiram had came there to find his fortune but situation ruins everything. Ghasiram's suffering and poor condition creates sympathy for him but after becoming Kotwal what he did is terrific.

Vijay Tendulkar himself  was a Brahmin, and in this play he bitterly criticizes/ satirizes the Brahmins. This is ideal example of self criticism. You cannot praise your so called tradition, which in real sense is rotten.

This kind of books actually helps to make society better. It raises awareness that everything is not well, we've to overcome our pitfalls and shortcomings.

I still remember one line from play that " There are no Donkeys in Nana's kingdom?". this sentence is ironical. Means state was full of people like this.

play also throws light on other aspects like how Brahmins were going to visit prostitute at night on the name of Pooja /  worship in Temple. Their wives alone at home waiting for them. there is also reference that This women visited by other men.

Nana Phadanvis has also so many wives, and theneven he lusts Gauri, who is just fourteen years old. This also shows the typical lude nature of kings. How female body was just an object for men is presented here. Ghasiram uses it to gain power and Nana uses it for pleasure.

 Ghashiram Kotwal is Tendulkar most           controversial play. It was staged in 1972. The depiction of the historical character Nana Phadnavis is very controversial. He was a revered statesman during the Peshwa rule in Maharashtra that angered Brahmins and led to protests. It is directed by noted director Jabar Patel. He is faced violent protests from the audience which targeted the artists with eggs and tomatoes in theatre halls to stop the performances. Ghashiram Kotwal is a musical historical play. Tendulkar came to the defense of the play, pointing out that Ghashiram Kotwal is not a historical play: “It is a story, in prose, verse, music and dance set in a historical era. Ghashirams are creations of socio-political forces which know no barriers of time and place. Although based on a historical legend, I have no intention of commentary on the morals, or lack of them, of the Peshwas, Nana Phadnavis or Ghashiram. The moral of the story, if there is any, may be lookd for elsewhere.”

                   Ghashiram Kotwal (1972) dealt political        violence. The play is a political satire set in 18th  century Pune. It combined traditional techniques, creating a new paradigm for Marathi theatre. The play demonstrates Tedulkars deep study of group psychology, and it brought him a “Jawaharlal Nehru fellowship (1974-75)” for a project titled.

 “An Enquiry into the Pattern of Growing violence in society and its relevance to contemporary theatre.”

           Tedulkar’s said, “My creative writing including my plays and films I have written, mostly dealt with my contemporary social reality. As a social being, I am against all exploitation and I passionately feel that all exploitation must end.” He has enriched Marathi theatre without completely breaking away from tradition.

      As a playwright, Tendulkar’s great strength lies in his dialogues. It is as if he doesn’t need a director at all. The man seems to be able to ‘see’ every action, every move from curtain up to curtain down. He can probably even ‘hear’ it all………

     Many of Tendulkar’s plays derived inspiration from real-life incidents or social upheavals. It was stopped because the right wing Hindu-nationalist R.S.S. found it “Anti-Brahamin” and described the negative depiction Nana Phadnavis historical.

      Tendulkar’s approach about Feminism is reflected through his plays. Feminism refers to the belief that woman should have the same rights, power and opportunity that men have. Obviously believing that women have been denied their real status in the society and personal relationship by man.Many playwrights like G.B. Shaw, Shelagh Delaney, Tennessee William’s, caryl Churchill etc. have turned into faminists directly or indirectly. Vijay Tendulkar has deep concern to the women and society. Women are mercilessly denied opportunity for open expression of their true feelings in the tradition – bound Indian society. In this respect and in many other respects they are at great disadvantages when compared to men.

                This article tries to present the women     character in Ghashi Ram Kotwal. The position of Indian women right from the beginning, they were deprived of their rights in many ways. Ghashiram is a true story of portraying of women, women play a key role in Tendulkar’s plays. His characters are drawn from day-to-day life is Kamla, Leela Benara, Gauri.
Women play a central role in Tendulkar’s plays. His female  characters are mainly from the lower and middle classes, housewives, teachers, mistresses, daughters, slaves and servants. These women bring not just variety of social station but also a broad range of emotions into the plays: “from the unbelievably gullible to the clever, from the malleable to the stubborn, from the conservative to the rebellious, from the self-sacrificing to the grasping.”

       His characters are often composites of contradictory personality struggling between emotion and intellect, espoused values and conflicting actions; seeking independence yet submissive, struggling between physical desires and conscience. Tendulkar tended to minimize his personal influence on these characters and their personality development. They are in the play “with their own minds, ways and destiny,” he said. [7] Each of them her own separate existence and expression. Gauri, Gulabi, Brahaman wife each may individualized through distinctive expression, appearance and gate.

      His notable creation remain his outstanding play for its bold societal themes and characterization. The depiction of women character is highly different Gauri is the central character in Ghashiram Kotwal.
Nana become happy and expresses his carnal desire to see Gauri.

Nana. “Oh, can we ? can we fine her ? How beautifully formed ? What a lovely figure! Did you see ? Erect! Young! Tender! Ah! Ho ho! We’ve seen so many handle so many, but none like that one. None her equal. We wonder who she is.
Ghashi Ram. Whoever she is, if the order is given, this servant will bring her.”

Gauri charm bewitches Nana to such an extent that Nana says,

   “If she is not found, no one will help his head! Our grandeur’s gone if she’s not had. We tell you, if she is found, then this Nine Court Nana will conquer Hindustan! What a bosom! Buds just blossoming… We’ll squeeze them like this!”

      She titillates Nana’s desires to such an extent that he is forced to wear his heart on his sleeve. “The chant continues. Nana comes in dancing to this rhythm. The young girl comes in, ready to dance. She moves to the rhythm, makes sensuous gestures, moves around Nana elusively, driving him berserk. She doesn’t touch him. Every now and then, Ghashiram is seen. Nana throws him favours and dances behind the girl. Brahamans sing to the rhythm of drum and cymbals. Turning their backs to the audience, the Brahamans from a garden. Nana chases the girl through the garden.”

        When Ghasiram comes to know reality he cries out loud.
Ghashiram. “Now he’s in my hands… Oh, my daughter….the beast…… Oh, you people. Look I’ve given my beloved daughter into the jaws of that wolf! Look. Look at this father. Putting the child of his heart up for sale. Look at my innocent daughter a whore. That old overripe bastard! Look at him, eating her like a peach…. Spit on me. Stone me. Look, look, but I will not quit. I’ll make this Poona a kingdom of pigs.”

        After the death of Gauri there was great change in Ghasiram. He feels wretched.
Ghasiram. “Oh, my child. My Gauri. A piece of my heart. Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! What has become of you ? What happened ? What did that devil Nana do ? That monster. Gauri, my dear-what happened to you, my daughter?”

        Gauri is viceless, powerless and victimized. She silently accepts the dectates of her father. Gauri is the symbol of exploitation of female sexuality to represent the loss and destruction in then struggle for power. Gauri’s death represent the flip side of Indian women for their use and abuse in all walks of life. Gauri seems to enjoy power for some time.She loses her honour, respect and finally life when her father was looking for a groom. She is pitiable character in the play. Her death brings a change in Ghashi Ram, he is mad with rage. He rocks the city of Poona with his Ire.

       Gulabi, the Courtesan is a dancing woman. Her house is tilted with the people. The Brahamans of Poona are much charmed by her Lavanis. The people enjoy of her dance. They shout and throw their turban in the air. She becomes a special invitee of Nana and enjoys his patronage. She is the woman who give shelter and employment to Ghashi Ram. She tells to Nana that he is the foreigner and have no food. She gives shelter to live. Maratha women have been sketched in passive colours. They are the mute spectators of the tragedy. They do not say anything of their husband when they visit Gulabi’s house. They are also the victims of nana’s lust. Women of Poona are shown not virtuous by Tendulkar. Some have relationship with Maratha Sardars.

         Gauri’s mother is silent sufferer. She does not object anything. She is also shown week. She does not object when Gauri is handed over to Nana by Ghashiram. All women in Ghashiram Kotwal are passive sufferer.

     Tendulkar has delineated powerful female figures in several of his plays. The women are minor figures. We see several kinds of women: Gulabi, representing the prostitutes, the Brahman woman forced out of her house and accused of being prostitute, Gauri young and innocent representing all the young women prayed upon by people like Nana portrayed objects of exchange. The female characters and their status shows as sex objects. They are in the play – pawns and play things in the political game of Nana and Ghashiram.

       Ghashiram is not the declaration of a new aesthetics. According to Tendulkar, the combination of Marathi folk forms which he used came in answer to his search for a way to tell the story he wanted to tell:

“Ghashiram started with a theme, then came the specific ‘story’ or incident which was historical and then the search for the form began.” 

        The play shows moral deprivation, degradation and degeneration. The person who is in power his shown immoral. Gender based in heritance laws and practice deprive women of their economic, social and cultural rights. Violence against women is rampant and this is well shown in Ghashiram Kotwal.