Theatre criticism in Marathi

9 Pages·1993·0.34 MB·English

by  Deshpande, V.B.

· Theatre Criticism in Marathi
V.B. DESIIPANDE
Theatre criticism in Maharashtra dates back to a hundred and fiftyyears.In
orderto understand the natureofthiscriticism,onemuststudythe different
stages through which Marathi theatre evolved.
Modem Marathi theatre had its beginning in 1843at Sangli, where Vishnudas
Bhave'splay SitaSwayamvarwasstaged under the patronage of RajaChintaman
raoPatwardhan.This wasthe first ticketedshow inthe historyof Marathitheatre.
Every modem theatre has its own traditional sources. In the context of Marathi
theatre, two traditional streams need to be considered: the folk theatre, and
TanjavariNatak. Thereare various forms offolk theatreinMaharashtra:Kalasutri
Bahulyancha Khel, Lalita, Bharud, Dashavatara, Naman, Khele, Tamasha, .
Gondhal, Vasudeva, Bahuroopi, Songi Bhajan etc. Together with these, Kirtana
remainsastheoriginalsource offolktheatre.Theseforms still existinMaharashtra
together with the urban proscenium theatre. . .
The other stream,Tanjavari Natak, had its locus in the Maratha dominion in
present-day Tamil Nadu. It was only in the early 20th century that the historian
Rajwade brought to light the plays of the Tanjavari dramatists. They wer.~
members of the royal family. Shivaji's stepbrother Vyonkoji Raje's son ShahaJ'
Raje Was a prolific playwright who wrote no less than 22 plays in Marathi an~
almost asmany in Telugu besides a few plays in Sanskrit and Hindi. His Marathi.
plays are: GaneshJayanti, Saraswati, Pervsti, Sita Kalyano, Pattabhishekb, Sacbi
Purandhar, Valli Ka/yan, Krishna Lee/a, Ja/akrida, Sali Pati Ka/yan: Sbanta
Kalyan, Shankar Narayan, PanehaBhasba Vilas, Sai-vangSundsui, RatiKalyan,
Mrutyunjaya Chiranjeeva, Hari Har Vi/as, Laxmi Narayan Kalyan, (Jovardban
Uddh.arana,G3!'gaKaveriSamvad,SubhadraKalyan andLaxmiBhudeviSlU1lvad.
Raje Pratapsmh, nephew of Shahaji Raje,wrote 20plays of which 17plays~e
traceable in the records of Saraswati Grantha Mahal library of Thanjavur: ~~t.
Ka/yan. Uma Kalyan, LaxmiPanchaya, Krishna Janma,Dhruva Charitra, pan;at
Al!aharan, Parvati Kalyan, Mayavati Pesicbsy«; Prabodha'Chaodrodaya, Mitra
VlDda Panchaya, Yayati Chantra, Janaki Sukhoullhasa, Prabhavatti Kafyan,
Anasuya Upakbyan, Rukmangada Natak Rukmini Kalyan and swamantaka
l'pakbyana. . '
n~ber
Serfoji.Raje Bhosale, the grandson ofRaje Pratapsinh, also wrote a of
plays which were preserved in Grantha Mahal known for its coUeetJon of
manuscripts of plays. Serfoji's plays are: Ganesh ieela Vamana, Ganesh Wjay.,
Ganga Vishweshwar Parichaya, Devendre Koverji, Mohini Mahesh Paricb.ya,
s.-<N.tM Nos. 1llS-109 April-September 1993
11IEATRE CRI1lCISMIN MARAllfI JI
RadhaKrishna Vilas, ShivaRatraUpakhyana, MeenakshiPsricheysandSubhadra
Pericbey». .
These royal playwrights were multilingual and were open to many influences
includingSanskritdramaandthe Yakshaganatheatre ofKarnataka.Buttheiroften
sophisticated playswere not accessibleto 'mainland' Maharashtra, geographically
andculturally separated from the distant dominion in Thanjavur. Verylittle has
been written on-Thanjavari Natak apart from the studies of Rajwade and Maya
Sardesai.
From the mid-19th centuryMarathi drama and theatre cameincreasinglyunder
theinfluence ofSanskrit and English plays.Therewasaspate oftranslations.The
Gujarati and Urdu plays of the Parsi companies, with their clever use of music,
dance, and special effects, also exerted powerful influence on the Marathi stage.
Prabodha Chandrodaya, the first playtranslated into Marathi,waspublishedin
1851. Itwas translated from the Sanskrit byS.B. Amarapurkar and Raoji Bapuji
Shastri. Some of the other translations from this period are: Venisanhar, Uttar
RamCbsritrs,Shakuntala,Mruchhakatika, ParvatiParichaya,andNagaNandaby
Parashuramtatya Godbole; Janaki Parichaya and Malavikagnimitra by Ganesh
shastriLele; Shakespeare'sOthellobyMadhavshastriKolhatkar, TheMerchantof
Venice by A.V. Patkar and Julius Caeser byB.G. Natu, However, not all these
playswerestaged on account oftechnicalproblemsofstagecraft. Farcescameinto
voguefrom the 1860s, beginning with Bala Koti-Bhaskar's Sitaharan. Not allof
these were on humorous themes. For instance, Narayanrao Peshwe Yanchya
VadhachaFarceand AfazalKhanachaMrutychaFarcedealtwithassassinationand
death.
Annasaheb Kirloskarpioneered Marathi Sangeet Natak inthe latter part ofthe
19thcentury. His play Shankutala was firststaged in Pune on 31October 1880.
Enrouraged byits great success,Kirloskar staged hissecondplay. Soubhadra, on
18November 1882at Purnananda Theatre in Pune. This performance too wasa
remarkable success. Kirloskar'sother playswere ShankarDigvijaya and Ramara·
jya Viyog. .
Afterthe Kirloskarera, GovindBalla!Devalemerged asamajorplaywright.He
wrote seven plays: Durga, Zunjatrao, Vikramorvashiya, Samshayakallol, Mruc
hhakatilea, Shapasambhramand Sharada.Ofthese Vikramorvashiya,Mruchhaka·
tilea and Shapasamlihramwere ofSanskritorigin. Zunjarraowasan adaptation of
Shakespeare'SOthello, Samshayakal/olisbasedon Moliere's Gonerel('All in the
Wrong', EnglishtranslationbyMurphy),adaptedwithconsummateskill.Skarada,
first staged in 1899, caused a social upheaval in Maharashtra. Dealing WIth the
practice ofmarriage between young girlsand old men-balajsrstb« V1vaba-the
play became a landmark in the development of the Marathi stage.
The first decade of the 20th century witnessed the emergence of Shreepad
KrishnaKolbatkarasapopularplaywright.HisplaysincludeVeera Tanaya, Muka
Nayak, Gupta Manjusha, Mati Viiar, Prem Shodhan. Vadhu Psriksb«, Janma
Rahasya and Shiva Pavitrya. Kolbatkar did not write plays o~ mytholo~c.al ~r
historicalthemesbut chosehisown,and madeampleuseofParsistagemusicInhis
32 V.B. DESHPANDE
productions. Technically his plays lacked finesse, and thus enjoyed only a
transitory popularity.
Krishnaji Prabhakar Khadilkar, whofollowed Kolhatkar, wrote 15playsinall.
Most of them are based on mythological and historical themes while somehave
original plots. Khadilkar's ballmark is the philosopbical content of bis plays,
introduced in mythologicaland historical situations. He was much influenced by
Shakespearean tragedy and bandied adaptations with ability. Before himDeval,
Kolhatkar and Agarkar had also tried their hand at bringing Shakespeare tothe
Marathi stage but they did not succeed in'respect of characterization the way
Khadilkar did. He could handle prose plays and musicals with equal facility.
Manapaman, Swayamvar and Vidyaharan became all-time musical hits.
PlaywrightRamGanesh Gadkari,whofollowed. wasalso a humourist andpoet.
Hisplay's.writtenintheseconddecadeofthiscentury,include PremSanyas,Punya
Prabhav, Eakach Pya!a,BhavBandhan,RajSanyas, Vedyancha BajarandGaTVa
Nirvana. Eakach Pya!a is the best known among them. Gadkari was greatly
influencedbyShakespeare. Hisimaginativeprose and poetryhavealwaysattracted
Marathi readers and performances of his plays continue to be popular.
Amongtheearliestpublished piecesoftbeatre criticismin Marathiisanoticeof
Vishnudas Bhave's plays which appeared in the daily Dnyanaprakash on 11
February 1856.Itsaid(inEnglishtranslation): "Theseplays have the advantageof
attractinglargeaudiencestowatchperformancesbased on mythological themes.In
contrast the contemporaryfolktheatre-Tamasha, Lalit.etc.-hasitsmainstayin
vulgarity and cheap humour, which generally leads to misconduct and misbe
haviourofpeople insociety.Suchperformancesare of an obscene nature.Against
thisbackground, VishnudasBhave's playswith theirmature language, decentand
sophisticated humour, the use of tesss such as veera, sbok« and ananda offer
entertainment of a higher order to respectable audiences."
The establishment of the Universityof Bombayin 1857wasa noteworthy event
inthecullural historyofMaharashtraarrdhadabeneficial influenceonthe Marathi
stage as well. It provided exposure to English literature and its criticism.and
createdamorewidespreadawarenessofliteratureanddrama.SanskritandEng!isb
plays were increasingly introduced in Marathi theatre.
From the 1860s. reflections on the current theatre began appearing fairly
regularly in the Marathi press. These writings discussed the issue of themesfor
drama, ~e q~estion of ~ealism, as well as technical aspects of theatre. A good
exampleISKrishnashastnChiplunkar'scriticismofV.I.Kirtane'splaysJayapaland
Thotle .Madhavrao Peshwe, in essays published in ShaJapatrak in 1865.
Kashinath Balkrishna Marathe presented a paperentitled Naval Naoka before
Dny?naprasarak Sabha on 1August 1872.It dealt with the plays Manorama and
SW3Ir~k~ha. Emphasizing the moral aspect. Marathe condemned obsceni~on
. stagedisguised~ realism. Further.criticizingthe penchantofMarathiplaywTl~ts
for lo?~soliloquies, he wrote:"Whatevermay be the subject matter of aplay,Its
exposmon hastobethroughtheaction ofthecharacters.Theplaywrightcannever
TIlEATRE CRITICISMINMARAnn 3J
providean exposition through description. Even the soliloquies maynot be useful
inthis regard. In fact, as experiencedin plays like Manoramaand Swairesakesha
playersdeliveringlong soliloquiesspoiltheeffect ofdrama. InSanskritandEnglish
drama the use of soliloquies is minimal".
Vishnushastri Chiplunkar, son of Krishnashastri Chiplunkar, in his essay
GranthavarTeeka (Criticism of Books) published in the magazine Njbandhamala
in1867praised the translation of Othello byMadhavshastri Kolhatkar. He wrote:
"Ithas been achieved in an excellent manner.That theplay could be renderedso
effectivelyin Marathi wasnot realized bythe authorhimself! But thiswaspossible
onlybecause of Kolhatkar's romantic nature and the selection of the play itself."
Referring to Nilakantha Janardan Kirtane's Tara, Vishnushastri Chiplunkar
wrotemany yearslater(1909) inNibandhamala:Therehasbeenagradedchangein
people's attitude and taste in theatre. Audiences today also appreciate themes
other than the mythological, and this gives playwrights a chance to handle new
subjects. Tara happens to be a good example of a new play based on a foreign
source." Around the same time Annasaheb Kirloskar's plays appeared on the
scene. Shakuntala, which was staged in 1880, laid the foundation of the Marathi
Sangeet Natak. This attempt 100, was appreciated by Vishnushastri Chiplunkar,
whowroteapprovinglyofthevogueoftheSangeetNatakinthe dailyKesari.lnhis
article'NstskGranthsniNatakPrayog'hediscussed MarathiSangeetNatakinthe
context of European opera.
Translationsand adaptationsofShakespeare'splayswere asalientfeature ofthe
period. Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest
and The Tsming oftbe Shrew saw their Marathi reincarnations in the late 19th
century. They were widely discussed by contemporary critics. G.G. Agarkar and
G.V. Kanitkar, for instance, wrote about two translationsof Hamlet inNibandha
Cbandrika in 1883. .
The stateofthenascentMarathistage dictatedthe nature oftheatre criticismtill
theend of the 19th century. Most of thecriticism dealt with newlyadapted plays,
Obscenity,theatre and social reform, etc. Details of the construction of a play,
characterization and dialogues were nol examined by and large.
Though the attempts at theatre criticism by Krishnashastri and Vishnushaslri
Chiplunkarhavetheirvaluein the contextofthe times, more importantisthe later
work of Shripad Krishna Kolhatkar. He wrote critical essays on many plays
inclUding Deval's Sbapasambhrama, Dongare's Chandrasena, Barve's.Matrushjk.
shaPrahbav,. Natekar's Bajirao Mastanj, Patankar's Vikram ShashJkala, N.C.
Kelkar's Totayache Banda and Kirloskar's Soubhadra. Kolhatkar refuted som~
Marath~
harsh views expressed on these plays, and commented in defence ?f
Marat~~
theatre: "Theevolution of theatre in Englandwasagradual process while
theatre has enjoyedits childhood, youth and old age within a penodof30years.
Inhisarticle Sadyasthitiprerit Dona Nataka (Two Contemporary Plays), he wrote
about BlUmraoand SwamiChidananda,basedon Schiller'splays (~mdh Dnyana
Vistar,1907.8). Kolhatkar'scriticism of the play TotayacheBanda(10ManoraJ~n,
1914)is a milestonein the historyofMarathi theatrecriticism. The essay, running
J4 V.B. DESHPANDE
into 100pages, isamature and thorough pieceofcriticisminwhichKolhatkarhas
discussed the fundamental principles of drama in a bold and straightforward
manner. In this and other pieces, Kolhatkar introduced an appropriate Marathi
terminology for dramatic criticism which benefited critics who came after him.
In 1903 Appaji Vishnu Kulkarni wrote Marathi Rangabhoomi ('The Marathi
Stage'), an important work which surveyed the development of Marathi theatre
from Vishnudas Bhave to the end of the 19th century. It details the actua!
performance of plays and deals at length with actors, writers, drama companies,
and the taste of the contemporary audience. The author does not hesitate10
criticize slipshod and lopsided performances of some historical plays.
At the beginningof the 20thcentury a number ofcritics emerged on thescene,
writingon theatre withincreasing authority. Narayanrao Bhavanrao Pavgi inhis
'Bharatiya Natya Shastra ani Natya Kala' (Indian Dramatics and DramaticArt)
wasone of the firstto attempt a fundamental discussion of dramatics inMarathi.
Shankarrao Mazumdar's book on appreciation of drama, published in 1902,was
also a noteworthy contribution.
InAugust 1907Mazumdarestablishedthe monthly Rangabhoomiall91issuesof
which, published from 190710 1927, are fortunately available. In the editorialof
theinauguralissue,ShankarraoMazumdarsays:"Wehope that theaudiencewhich
eagerlywaitsfortheclimaxofanexcitingplaywouldshow equal eagernessforthe
arrivalofRangabhoomi'sissuesandwishlonglifeforthe monthly. The journalwill
give more and more space for writings in the field of theatre."
Rangabhoomi published reviews of contemporary productions in Marathi,
Sanskrit and English. Among them were Keechakvadh, Mativikar, Sharada,
Baikanche Band, Premshodhan, Matsyagandha, Rakshasi Mahatwakansha and
HachMu/aebaBsp.The outlook ofthecriticswasoriginal, free and bold.Theydid
not hesitate to point out drawbacks in a performance but were also mindful or
variousdifficultiesof play-production, especiallythe difficultiesof playsrendered
from other languages. Among the contributors to Rangabhoomi was Gopa!
Waman Bapat, one of whose articles was on 'Shakuntala Natak Nibandha'. An
anonymous critic wrote on Khadilkar's Keechsk-Vadh, in which the playwright
used a mythologicalplot to deal with socio-political problems in quite a modem
manner.
The eminent playwrightRam Ganesh Gadkariwrote an articleinRangabhoomi
on th.e actor's place insociety('Samajat Natache Sthan') in whichhe heldtbalan
actor sSuccessdepended mostlyon the audience,on whomGadkaricouldbequite
severe. R.G. Dandavate expressed his views on an actor's training ('Nat va
Shiksh~n') in 1910, a topic which was touched upon earlier by Anand Waman
Barve In 1908. V.A. Keskar advocated a training course for actors.
A cri~i~' circl~-Natya Charcha Mandai-was set up by Maharashtra .Natal
Mandah In PuneIn 1909.Thiswasthe firsteffortto establish aforum-addinonal
to newspapers and journals-where theatre could be freely discussed bywriters
and laymen. .
Though a good deal of critical writing was published on the dramatic artor
11iEATRE CRrI1CISM IN MARATIll 35
Kirloskar, Deval, Kolhatkar and Khadilkar from 1843 to 1920, the first book
devoted exclusively to a playwright was on Ram Ganesh Gadkari. It wasjointly
published by S.B. Joshi and K.V. Sathe in 1924, five years after the dramatist's
death. Another study of Gadkari, by V.S. Khandekar, appeared in 1932.
Khandekarlater acquiredrenown asa theatre criticbyhisworkMararhicha Narya
Sansu (The Marathi Theatre).
Major changes occurred on the Marathi stage from the mid-1920s. The World
War and a burgeoning industry at home left their marks on life and society.·In
Marathi theatre, the popularityoftheSangeet Natakdeclined, andsodidthetaste
for historical and mythological plots. Many of the old drama companies closed
down, including Kirloskar Sangeet Mandali, lchalkaranjikar Natak Mandali,
Punekar Natak Mandali, Swadeshhit Natak Mandali and Shahu Nagarwasi
Mandali.The comingofcinema (silentfilmsin1913and talkiesin 1932)offeredan
alternativeto theatre-going audiences. A newgeneration of playwrightstook on
fresh challenges: B.R. (Marna) Warerkar, P.K. Atre, M.G. Rangnekar, S.V.
Vartak, Y.N. Tipnis and Madhavrao Joshi, for example. Drama turned its
attentionto social themes, rendered realistically,andcame under the influenceof
modem dramatists, chiefly Ibsen.
After independence Marathi theatre developed in many new directions.
Together with the professional theatre, amateur theatre, political theatre and
children'stheatre grew apace.The traditional Sangeet Natak too acquired a fresh
leaseoflifewiththe growth ofa newawarenessabout the useofmusicintheatre.
V.V. Shirwadkar, Vasant Kanetkar, Jayant Dalvi, P.L. Deshpande, Ratnakar
Matkari and Bal Kolhatkar emerged as leading playwrightsof the professional
stage. Shirwadkar's 'Nal Ssmeret, Kanetkar's Raygada/a Ievsnb« Jag Yere,
HimalayachiSawaJiandAshrunchiJhaJiPhuJe,JayawantDalvi'sSandhya-Chhaya,
BsttisterandNali-Gori, and P.L. Despande's Tujhe Aahe Tujhapashi, Ratnakar
Matkari's Ashwarnedha, Bal Kolhatkar's Wahalo Hi Durvanchi Judi have been
among the outstanding plays on the professional stag~. . . ,
. Alongside, there has been a great deal of experimental a~lVlty 10 ~t­
mdependence theatre, both in the fonn and substance of Marathl drama. Vijay
Tendulkar does not shy away from depicting cruelty, violence and lust. Man~
Navache Bet GhashirarnKorwal Sakhararn Binderand Gidhade are someofhis
~Iays. pla~ghts
Outstanding Other have brought existential and political
<oncerns to Marathi theatre, or dealt with socialthemes in newways.Playslike
Garbo, WasanakandAtmakatha and Wada Chirebandi by Mahesh Elkunchwar.
Begem Barve and Atireki by Salish Alekar, Uddhwastha Dharmashala and
Andhar Yatra by G.P. Deshpande, and Chal re Bhopa/aya !unuk Tunuk by
AchyutVazehave enlarged the scopeofMarathitheatre.Playwn~~sof~young~r
generation like Chetan Datar, Prashant Dalvi, Premanand Ga/WI, Ajit ~alWl,
SanjayPawar and Tushar Bhadre have also made their distinctivecontributions.
Ratnakar Matkari, Sudha Karmarkar and SaiParanjape are amongthose who
havehelped todevelopchildren'stheatre.DuringthelastISyearstheDahttheatre
J6 V.B. DESIIPANDE
hasalsomade a placefor itselfinMarathi theatre. Playwrights likeDalla Bhagat,
Premanand Gajwi and B.S. Shinde have brought their own social experience 00
stage.
S.N. Banahatti's history of Marathi theatre-Marathi Rangbhumicha Itihas
published in1957isamajor workon theatre in thepost-independenceera.Hehas
critically and exhaustively surveyed the early history of Marathi theatre. G.K.
Bhat,ascholarofSanskrit literature and drama, isremembered for his Vidushal
(1959), a work that considers the concept and tradition of the jester inSanskrit
drama. K. Narayan Kale, himself an actor, director and playwright, hasbeena
.theatre critic of high repute. He wasthe founder member of Natyamanvantar,a
theatre group established in 1933 which did pioneering work in experimental
theatre and isespeciallyknown for its production of AndhalyanchiShala. Kale's
objective ad comprehensive outlook is reflected in his critical works including
Natya Vimarsha and Pratirna, Roop ani Rang. Kale's high literary standardsand
critical outlook benefited not only Natyamanvantar but also Mumbai Marathi
Sahitya Sangha, Rangayan, and many other amateur groups. His viewofdrama
and theatre isexpressed in the followingexcerpt from his book Natya Vima15ha.
"Criticism of drama and criticismof theatre are quite distinct and differentfrom
each other.The common man in the audience isoften unable to understandthe
difference. This leads to'a great deal of confusion in the mind of the common
reader (of drama) and the common theatregoer. The critic's responsibilityisto
make the common man in the audience aware of this difference. Sometimesthe
readingofaplaymaybeveryimpressive,andyetthe playmaynot beveryeffeC!ive
on the stage. This, however, does not mean that the play has no value.Thecnnc
himselfmust be aware ofthis andshould study both literary and theatricalvalues.
(Natya Vimarsha, p. 73).
R.S. Walimbe, eminent critic, has written on many aspects of Marathi theatre.
HisworkMarathiRangabhoomivariJVastavavadisa majorworkonrealismont~e
Marathi stage.HissurveyofMarathi theatrecriticismistitledMarathiNatyasami~'
sha:1865-1935.Hehasalsowritten acriticalstudyof Gadkari,NatakhrG.dkan.
Some of his other subjects are the Marathi Sangeet Natak and Sanskrit drama.
~ther noteworthyworksoftheatre criticismbelonging to the post-inde~ndence.
era include Nat, Natak aniNatakkar('TheActor,the Playandthe Playwnght)an~
Makhm.a/icha Padada ('The Velvet Curtain') by Vasant Shantararn Des"".
exammmg the Sangeet Natak of Balagandharva's times; Sangeetane Gal1eh
y
Rangabhoomi by Baburao Joshi, which gives us a good idea of the prese?t-da
Sange~t Natak; and Pourenik Netysstusbti ('Mythology' and the Theatre) and
SamaJJk Natyas~shti ('Society and the Theatre') by V.P. Dandekar:
V.D. Kulkarni, a well-know critic of modem Marathi literature, has done
significantw~rk as atheatre critic. Hissurvey of the tragedy. the come?r:mdthe
one-act-play m Marathi holds an important place in Marathi theatrecnt,C\S(\I·His
book on ~r1oskar's Soubbedrs is an in-depth study of a single play...
Gadkari s Ekach Pyalahas also been commented upon by various cnucs-AI!
THEATRE-cRl1lCISM IN MARAnH J1
exhaustivepreface to the playbyS.K. Kshirsagarchanged the general assessment
ofthe play. Here Kshirsagarcriticallydiscussesthe playin the lightof Greek and
Shakespearean tragedy. It has also been discussed by T.V. Sardeshmukh and
Gangadhar Gadgil. •
In respect of contemporary playwrights, G.M. Kulkarni and Chandrashekhar
Barve'sbook on VijayTendulkar'splays-TendulkaranchiNatake-is regarded as
an important work.
The journal Nstsk, published byMumbai Marathi SahityaSangh,wasa notable
periodical on Marathi theatre. It is important particularly for Bapurao Naik's
technical discussion of the stage and the auditorium, and Madhav Manohar's
controversial series of articles on aspects of Marathi theatre which he found
wanting.
Aninterdisciplinaryseminaron Marathitheatre andmentaldisorder-washeldin
Modern College, Pune, in which playwrights, directors, as well as psychiatrists
presentedpaperson plays like Gidhade, Vasanakaad,Mahapur,Santa Damedar,
Paranjapc and Garbo. The essays were later published in a book titled Marathi
Natak ani Manovikruti. .
Among notablewriterson Marathi theatreareTara Bhavalkar, GangadharPatil,
Ashok Kelkar, Vasant Kanetkar, S.G. Malshe, Bhimrao Kulkarni, D.V. De
shpande, G.P. Deshpande, Shriram Lagoo and Sunil Subedar. 'Natak-Ek
Chintan' by Vasant Kanetkar, 'Natya Darshan' by Sunil Subhedar and 'Mala
DisleliNatke' ('Plays I have seen') byD.V. Deshpande are someofthe booksby
these writers.
Madh'avManohar,an eminent theatre criticandascholarofliterature, isknown
for the boldness and sharpness of his writingson theatre. Many of hisessayson
drama and theatre have been compiled in book form.
Dnyaneshwar Nadkarni wrote in the fortnightly Mou] and later ina number of
Englishperiodicals. Authorofabiography ofBalagandhaevainEnglish,Nadkarni
is also well known as an art critic.
Pushpa Bhave isacriticwhohaswritten ablyonMarathidrama andtheaIre.The
present writer has been writing on theatre for many years in journals including
Manoos and Sobat, besides the books Natakkar Khanolkar. Theatre Criticism
Some Viewpoints <anedited volume) and Raygadala JenvhaJag Yete ('The Play
and its Criticism').
Reviewers ofplaysinMarathi activeforseveralyearsincludeV.Y.Gadgil, R.G.
Sardesai, Atmaram Sawant, Pandit Mandke, Kamalakar Nadkami, Raja Karale,
Mangesh Tendulkar, Shashikant Narvekar, R.N. Paranjape, Madhav Vaze,
Madhav Kulkarni Suresh Chandra Padhye, Rajeev Naik, Prashant Dalvi and
VijayTapas. Rajeev and Arun Naik ran for some time in Englishjournal named
Sameeksha ('Criticism') devoted to theatre. Suresh Chand:a Pad.hyehas recently
published a collection of his reviews of plays, Natakachl Ssvli. . '
As in other languages, theatre criticism in Marathi. ispublished. mainly m
newspapers and magazines. Some of the important penod.cals carrying theatre
Criticism in the post-independence era include Natak, Natya Darpan, Bbstst
38 V.B. DESHPANDE
Shastra, Natya Bboomi, Sameeksha, Satyakatha, Abhiruchi, Manoos, Satal,
Kessri, Maharashtra TImes,Lcksatta,LokPrabha,latra, SaptahikSakal, Prabhat
and Tarun Bharat. The journalBharatShestre was, till its closure due tofinancial
Jifoblems,notableforitsdevotedattempttopopularizetheatreand promotesound
criticism.Manoosand Sobathave alsomade asimilareffort. Newspapersandtheir
supplementsare an important outletfora theatrecritic to<!aH to express hisviews.
With a burgeoning press and substantial newspaper supplements, the volumeof
criticalwritingontheatrehascertainly expandedinthe recentpast. However,what
gets published is of uneven standard.
Marathi theatre initscareet of some 150years has responded to newchallenges
and thrown out new branches on the way. Style, substance, themes have
changed-and are changing-along with changes in society. These are timesfor
the criticto take stockofthe newdevelopments, explore new horizons,andaffirm
the meaningful in theatre. 0