Students from Classes X, XI & XII were treated to a night of theatre. Students were taken to see Mahadevbhai, a dramatic production by the theatre company Working Title, which was organized by the Hindu as a part of its Metroplus Theatre Fest 2014.
Ramu Ramanathan’s Mahadevbhai is a one-person play that explores the relevance of Gandhian principles and ideology to our times. It chronicles the life of Mahadev Desai, Gandhi’s personal secretary from 1917 till his death in 1942, drawing upon noteworthy incidents and excerpts from his personal diaries.
Every aspect of the play fit seamlessly together. In keeping with the Gandhian feel, the set was unobtrusive and minimalist. The form chosen was that of storytelling, interspersed with humour, so there was never a dull moment. Veteran Actor Jaimini Pathak was brilliant in his delivery. He perfectly transitioned between one role to another, from one language (English, Hindi, Gujarati) to the other, from one time period to another, with extraordinary ease.
In recreating the zeitgeist of the Gandhian movement, classic and emotive songs were strategically interwoven throughout the drama, including Mharo Pranam by Kishori Amonkar, the iconic Hari Tum Haro Jan Ki Peer by the legendary and inimitable M.S. Subbalakshmi, Tagore’s Ekla Chalo Re, and Bhimsen Joshi’s Main To Tumharo Daas.
For the first time for many of the students, history came alive in a way that they will never forget. Mahadevbhai was a refreshing and inimitable theatrical treat.