Bhopal: From Chitralekha to Ashoka: ‘Aadi Vidrohi’ unveils new freedom fighters

Bhopal: What Chitralekha, the central character of Bhagvati Charan Verma’s celebrated novel of the same name, had to do with the Indian freedom movement? Or, for that matter, Ashoka the Great ? Or Draupadi of the epic Mahabharata? What was the contribution of Rani Laxmibai in the emergence of India as an independent nation?

Much, if you go by the plays staged at the “Aadi Vidrohi” drama festival organised by the Swaraj Sansthan Sanchalnalay at Bharat Bhavan.

The weeklong, fourteenth edition of the fest concluded on Sunday with “Chitralekha,”which weaves the tale of the romance between a courtesan and a Mauryan general, with philosophical underpinnings. The other plays staged at the fest included “Rani Laxmibai”, “Gagan Damama Bajyo”, “Karmabhoomi”, “Veer Raja Naharsingh”, “Mohan Se Mahatma” and “Chitralekha”.

The idea behind the event was to bring to fore the contribution of unsung tribal heroes, who laid down their lives while battling the British imperialists. However, somewhere on the way, the organisers seem to have lost sight of their primary objective. At least that is what a section of the city’s theatre fraternity feels.

“I went to watch ‘Karmabhoomi’ under the impression that it would be based on Munshi Premchand’s novel, written against the backdrop of the freedom movement. But to my surprise, I discovered that it was about a dialogue between Draupadi and Ashwasthama”, says Ashok Bulani, former director of Sindhi Academy and theatre actor and director. “I can’t imagine how play relates to the theme of the fest”, he said.

Theatre director and actor Mukesh Sharma, who watched four plays, said that while all of them were excellently produced and directed, their relevance to the theme of the event was doubtful. “But it is not the first time this has happened. For many years now, all kinds of historical, spiritual and mythological plays are being staged at the fest”, Sharma added.

Bishna Chauhan, a theatre actor, concedes that the character of the fest has changed but finds nothing wrong in it. “Earlier, only plays based on freedom fighters from across the country were staged. It is no longer so. I think it is good. We get to see good plays”, said Chauhan.

Drama critic and writer Vinay Upadhyaya had a slightly different take. “In the beginning, plays portraying the incidents and personalities of the freedom movement were staged at the fest. But now the organisers have expanded the theme to include rebellion against traditions. Clearly, the plays being staged are not in consonance with the original character of the fest. It has become just another drama festival”, he said.

Rakesh Dixit, a writer with an avid interest in theatre is unsparing. “To my mind, ‘Aadi Vidrohi’ means a born rebel, an iconoclast like Hercules, Spartacus, Tantya Bhil or Gautam Buddha”, he said. “Just tell me how Chitralekha was a rebel. Even Mahatma Gandhi does not fall in that category. He was a great man and an unmatched strategist but not a born rebel”, he added. Rani Laxmibai had fought to defend her kingdom, not for the freedom of India, Dixit avers. And if the theme is ‘Vidroh’, well, the protagonist of almost every play is a rebel in one sense of the term or another.