Mee Ponkshe boltoy

When I received the manuscript of actor Sharad Ponkshersquos new book Mee ani Nathuram three editions of the unpublished work had been booked in advance The bookrsquos Aurangabadbased publisher Shabdamrut Prakashan was excited to announce a record fourth edition before the release I was also curious to read how one stage character impacts a performer over 20 years I had written on the ban on the play way back in 1998 and therefore was awaiting some rear view reflective moments which Ponkshe experienced while essaying the historicalmdashparticularly hatedmdashfigure of Nathuram Godse amid political protestBut Mee ani Nathuram turned out to be a different book than the one I expected to read It offered me little in terms of the actorcharacter chemistry but rather was a laundry list of conveniences denied to Ponkshe by producer Uday DhuratHaving reported on the theatre industry since the rsquo80s I have interacted with professional actors like Ponkshe who brave tiring bus journeys poor accommodation facilities uncertain contractual terms and inadequate rest breaks They keep the show going despite the grind Some take up cudgels with producers stories of these performers are common to Marathi Hindi and English theatre circuits Producers too represent their side of the business Journalists are meant to factor in all sides just as I did by talking to DhuratDhurat not privy to the book will obviously read it after its Gudi Padwa release which is this Tuesday I asked him about the broader allegation of mean miserly behaviour as producer of the Marathi play Mee Nathuram Godse Boltoy which had a spectacular run of 850 shows in 18 years Dhurat not just denied exploitative costcutting practices but claimed that Ponkshersquos anger stems from his inability to get performanceproduction rights of the popular script from him Incidentally Dhurat told this writer about his plans to write a bookmdashin a fiercer response modemdashnegating the charges levelled against him He urged me to do a credentialcheck with other veteran actors who have worked with him I did not proceed in that direction knowing the landmines over thereIn fact Dhuratrsquos bookinthemaking did not enthuse me especially after Ponkshersquos account which is not what it claims to bemdashan actorrsquos journey with a character that is vilified in the Indian social discourse What was it like playing a disliked reallife figure Since the actor believed in Godsersquos ideology was it easier to enter the Godse persona Did he feel heroic or traumatised Did he feel the need for an emotional distance especially when the play received record houseful response How much did the character allow or aid Ponkshersquos own evolutionPonkshersquos book addresses none of my questions instead it is a rant against one villainlike figure who never shared the booty schemed for nonAC auditorium rates provided tap water as against the bottled variety and chose paanstained hotel rooms Despite getting houseful shows and ample media mileage the baddie never distributed pedas to commemorate the playrsquos milestones In a Bollywoodlike twist to his roguery he ticked his own brother off the playrsquos production process as soon as he realised the box office potential of the subjectIncidentally Marathi theatre industry has no dearth of instances when actors have rebelled against producers some performers preferred to put on the producerrsquos robes so as to prevent further exploitation Ponkshe himself severed ties from the producer He wrotedirected a new script on Godse titled Hey Ramhellip Nathuram and the play was mounted by the former producerrsquos aforementioned sidelined brother It completed 250 shows in March 2018 following which Ponkshe declared that he wonrsquot play the character in the future ldquoI had to stop somewhere As a 52yearold actor I cannot be playing a character who was hanged at 39rdquoIt is indeed graceful on an actorrsquos part to bid goodbye to a popular role that gave him an identity in the HindiMarathi entertainment industry the role shaped his new vocation as a soughtafter globetrotting speaker on the philosophy of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar Ponkshe has been also approached for the protagonistrsquos role in a Savarkar biopic which he turned down because he thinks ldquohe doesnrsquot resemble the leader in any wayrdquo For a performer who has beentheredonethat and travelled the world in the intervening years one expects a perspective heft in his lookback effort mdashnot the rage of an upset struggler His mention of the awards he did not win could have been avoidedMee ani Nathuram could have been a captivating read The play made history and it lived a suspensefilled stage life that few contemporary works can boast of Its playwright Pradeep Dalvi and director Vinay Apte no longer alive reside in popular consciousness because of their sensational highdecibel presentation of Godse on stage It was watched by an eclectic audiencemdashBhimsen Joshi to Bhupen Hazarika The ban on the play resultant uproar in Rajya Sabha permission for a restart after prolonged litigation performances held in police bandobast statewide tours instances of physical attacks and sloganeering during showsmdashMee Nathruram Godse Boltoy was a package At the centre of this was an impressionable 32yearold actor who had done twobit roles to eke a livingIt is commendable that Ponkshe the intense sincere Godse performer enjoyed the support and goodwill of fellow theatre persons even those who did not subscribe to Godsersquos rightwing ideology or those who felt the script glorifies a murderer Ponkshersquos mentors and seniors disregarded political differences to uphold his right to perform a play in free India But we donrsquot find explicit mentions of that Despite the humbling and ennobling moments the play gave him his book dwells on extremesmdashon the one hand we read about the fans fawning over his stage histrionics on the other stands a producer who tricks him into paying an upma billI find Ponkshersquos book somewhat like his personalitymdashabrasive and driven by a vague activist agenda Born in the Brahmanpuri neighbourhood in Miraj young Ponkshe was raised by his grandparents in the initial years At an age when children play Ludo he took to the RSS shakha which defined his reading choices and lifelong affection for Hindu ideologues like KB Hedgewar Savarkar and Godse too When he joined his parents both employees of BEST living in far off Bhayander the shakha and RSS ideology remained a constant After matriculation he was more inclined towards theatre he followed his father in BEST as a diesel mechanic Meanwhile he worked as a volunteer in many RSS projects like Keshav Srushti Uttan In 1985 he left the RSS due to differences and joined the Shiv Sena In thebook he often thanks Sena for protecting him during the tumultuous Godse play run Irrespective of his leanings towards the RSS or the Sena his identity as a Konkanastha Brahmin remains central to his stancemdasha fact he flaunts without much heed for political correctnessPonkshersquos journey is eventful It evokes awe His experiences are specificmdashbe it the small Godse cameo in Kamal Hasanrsquos Hey Ram his recent fight with cancer and the indefatigable spirit which prompts him to play Nathuram hours after losing a dear one If only the spirit lifted him above minutiaeSumedha RaikarMhatre is a culture columnist in search of the subtext You can reach her at sumedharaikarmiddaycom