Natsamrat

The title explains the theme here. The localite, our own tatya Shirwadkar wrote this play loosely based on ‘King Lear’. When Appa Belgaonkar & his wife become dependent on their son ,his behaviour changes. The Ajoba finds solace only in his grand daughter but when he is not permitted to meet her, the old pair decides to leave to go to their daughter’s place. Her two sons are in the boarding school & she is living with her husband with a domestic help, Vithoba & Rakhma.

When his daughter misplaces the envelope containing the entire month’s salary,she goes through the old trunk of her parents. Already banished to the guest house, her mother is not able to withstand this shock & dies. Now alone, Appasaheb Belvalkar is devastated & loses it completely. He is taken in by a boy who sits outside a theatre & polishes shoes. He promises to feed & take care. The family arrives to take him home but now he doesn’t need any & colapses.

Dr Shreeram Lagoo was one of the actors who gave full justice to this role. His soliloquies were very impressive. But his health did not permit the strain & he stopped. Dutta Bhatt was another name. I watched Upendra Date. The script is solid & it brings tears. I don’t think even one person must be leaving the theater dryeyed. The plight of the ageing people, the treatment they get, the unaware youth is very effectively depicted. Today I saw the televised version with Mohan Joshi & Rohini Hattangadi. Great actors can elevate a script to phenomenal level.

When he realised that his daughter wasn’t finding any knitting pins but wanted to check their luggage for the lost money, the expression on their faces was priceless. Mohan Joshi himself was almost in tears as he spoke. He had wanted this role when Tatyasaheb lived in Nashik. He had come here to talk,but something went wrong & he did not do it then. What a role! A lifetime achievement!!

Earlier a film was made but the script had some changes. Nana Patekar also has a presence on screen, but it was not the original. Some part of it was spent on his friendship with Vikram Gokhale, who dies. Their interaction was something to look forward to. Rest of the tragedy was the same.

Besides acknowledging it as a great attempt,very little is done to look into the care of the old people. The joint family allowed people of various ages to come together. That is missing today. In the old age homes all are old, so the fresh faces are not seen. The talks would certainly revolve around my knees or your body pain! My yellow pills & your red ones.

Old age is something that is an inevitable truth. We need to prepare for the same. Sympathy & empathy both will be needed. In an age of online payments when the pensioners stand in a queue is something that needs a change. When jobs are in scarcity, washing cars, selling tea, looking after the needs of the elders can be paying also.We have to put ourselves in their place & think.

Thinking hard. Better Changes in future!