Two plays on the life of Goa’s freedom struggle’s first martyr Bala Raya Mapari were recently staged as part of the National Theatre Festival organised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi
KALYANI JHA | NT BUZZ
Two Goan plays – ‘Vande Mataram: Desh Raag’ and ‘Vande Mataram: Veer Dharma – were performed last week as part of official selections of National Theatre Festival by Sangeet Natak Academi, New Delhi, at Kala Academy, Panaji and Rajiv Gandhi Kala Mandir, Ponda respectively.
As part of the celebrations to commemorate 150 years of Vande Mataram, the Ministry of Culture had invited states to recommend plays based on India’s freedom struggle or the freedom movements of their respective states. Stories rooted in the land were given priority. Another condition was that the crew and cast had to be below 40 years of age.
The Sangeet Natak Akademi then selected plays from different states, which were staged on the same day and at the same time at different venues in their respective states. The one-day festival also coincided with Mahakavi Kalidas Jayanti.
“It was conceived as a national event. Plays selected from different states were performed simultaneously in their respective states, creating one nationwide celebration through theatre,” says Rohit Khandekar, who essayed the lead role in ‘Vande Mataram: Desh Raag’.
Written by Yugank Naik, the production traces the remarkable journey of Bala Raya Mapari, regarded as the first martyr of Goa’s freedom movement. At the age of 26, Mapari joined the Azad Gomantak Dal, inspired by Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army. “The play follows his transformation from an ordinary boy into a martyr while also portraying the hardships endured by the people of Goa during Portuguese rule,” he explains, while clarifying that the production is not a biopic. “It focuses on the socio-economic issues that led people to take up arms. It stresses the class struggle, gender issues and wider geopolitics of the times. It also brings Netaji’s ideas about armed revolution and the establishment of the state into perspective,”
shares Naik.
Originally written for the 30th Konkani Drama Competition held last October, by Knowledge Terminus and Parikrama Artists’ Collective, ‘Desh Raag’ won the Best Original Script Award, Naik shares that researching and writing the script for his first full-length play was challenging. “Goa’s liberation was not only about satyagraha and Operation Vijay. There are a lot of stories, and the participation of the people who never got recognition. Peasants struggle, and the role of women has been largely absent in the writings on the history of Goa. So collecting sources was the biggest challenge,”
shares Naik.
Interestingly, the lead character of Mapari was previously played by MLA Govind Gaude. However, given the age limit that was set this time around, Khandekar stepped into
his shoes.
Having earlier portrayed Mapari’s trainer in the same production, Khandekar states that he had closely observed Gaude’s performance. “I understood the structure he had created,” he says, adding that it was a challenge fitting into Gaude shoes. “He had set a very high benchmark with his portrayal. My aim was not to replicate him but to come as close as I could while making the role my own.”
The production itself is notable for its scale, featuring around 81 characters, all played by artistes from Goa.
With seven successful performances completed and invitations now coming from outside the state, the team is preparing for the next phase of its journey. “Our schedules are still being finalised, but we expect to continue staging the play over the next two months,” says the actor.
In Ponda, ‘Vande Mataram: Veer Dharma’ was performed for the first time for this festival and the play was readied in
15 days.
“When the programme executive of Department of Art and Culture approached me, I accepted the challenge, despite the limited time because getting an opportunity from the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India’s premier theatre institution, is a matter of great pride for any director,” shares the director Anant alias Kalanand Bambolkar.
‘Vande Mataram: Veer Dharma’, written by Purushottam Mardholkar, is based on the first phase of Goa’s freedom struggle and follows the formative years of Mapari. “It begins with his childhood and school days, tracing how he joined the freedom movement, underwent training and became part of the Goan liberation struggle,” shares Bambolkar.
The production brought together 30 actors and nearly 40 members, including technicians. The cast consisted entirely of amateur performers.
Although the script already existed from an earlier school-level production, Bambolkar reshaped it to suit a larger stage.
Apart from the time hurdle, meeting the age criterion added another element
of challenge.
An art teacher at G.V.M.R.P. R.S High School, Bandora, Bambolkar thus approached his former students who had been active in theatre. “But getting everyone together regularly for rehearsals was the most difficult part,” he says.
