Vijay Tendulkar’s ‘Sakharam Binder’ was among the plays that hit the headlines as ‘controversial’ when it was banned in mid-seventies.
I considered this an over-reaction of an insecure government that provides Z plus security to politicians who recklessly offend sensibilities but bans thought provoking books, plays and films. I have a grouse as the same government refused to give the censor certificate for my historical fictional play set in emergency period ‘Nehru and the Tantrik Woman’ but I won’t go into that.
Dr Rajesh Nahar, an Oncologist based in USA who has left a flourishing career in medicines, like Madhuri Dixit‘s husband Dr Sriram Nene, for a career in acting plays the protagonist. ‘Sakharam Binder’ has been played by actors as versatile as Nilu Phule, Amrish Puri and Kulbhushan Kharbanda!
It was Rajesh’s choice of the play that I was tempted to meet the cast as they rehearsed in a basement of Filmalaya studio. But I had also seen how classics have been murdered in the recent years. Sanjay Leela Bhansali had murdered ‘Devdas’ and also some other murder attempts I don’t to mention now.
Rajesh zeroed on Yogesh Pagare, who has spent two decades in theatre and TV as an actor, writer and director to direct ‘Sakharam Binder’.
Yogesh is directing a Hindi movie ‘Ek Tha Hero’, to be released in mid-2014, and was game to direct Vijay Tendulkar’s play. Rajesh Nahar is good at several languages though it doesn’t matter as this play is in English.
It was he who brought Sharbani Mukherjee in the picture.
Sharbani is a part of the huge family tree of Sashadar Mukherjee which has branches like Joy and Deb Mukherjee, Kajol and Rani Mukherjee among many others.
Sharbani started with a role in ‘Border’ and also did ‘Mitti’ with Salim Akhtar who made the debut film of Rani Mukherjee, and has done a dozen films including two Malayam films.
“Tanuja too has done films in different languages,” Sharbani tells me as I observe the similarity in charisma around her and other Mukherjee girls. It will be a pleasure to watch her on stage.
Sharbani plays Laxmi, the meek and docile wife of Sakharam, very different from her vivacious and energetic persona, and as far as the entire group is concerned, seems overshadowing all of them. And yet, she tells me that Gulki Joshi (‘Crime Patrol’ and ‘Phir Subah Hogi’) who sits quietly in front of me plays the sexy, bubbly Champa of Sakharam Binder. I notice a look in the eyes of the 23-year-old, the way Champa would look. She is a TV actress but says that an actress in TV serials has little to do and is perceived as dumb. This rather candid statement might be because her mother too is a stage actress and has written several TV serials.
There isn’t much money in theatre, specially English theatre. “I’ve decided to do a year of TV, make some money and do theatre. Phir jab paise khatam ho jayenge to TV karoongi,” is the way charming Gulki has planned her career.
When Yogesh called her to offer her the role in ‘Sakharam Binder’ she was skeptical. A Maharashtrian Brahimin girl from the family of stage artists, Gulki knew the cult status of a controversial and bold ‘Sakharam Binder’. But seeing that it is really happening, she grabbed the opportunity. .
Everyone including Rishi Wadhwani, a copy-writer making his debut as an actor, is thrilled being a part of the legendary Marathi play. Talking about what happens to Rishi who plays the alcoholic husband of would be a spoiler.
What interests me is the cosmopolitan cast with a Marwadi Rajesh Nahar, Rishi a Sindhi, and Sharbani a Bengali playing stark Marathi characters but besides Yogesh Pagare who directs the play. Sanjiv Srikar, who too plays an interesting character ensure the authenticity of the Marathi ethos of ‘Sakharam Binder’.
I am only wondering who would provide the glamour quotient – an obviously glamorous Sharbani Mukherjee or a surprise waiting to be unleashed Gulki Joshi? Google for them and you’d find searches adding prefix ‘Hot’ to both the names.
Unlike Sarat Chandra (‘Devdas’) Chatterji, let’s hope Tendulkar can rest in peace.
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