Asmita Theatre presents Rajesh Kumar's
"Ambedkar AUR Gandhi"
directed by Arvind Gaur
on 8th December at 7.30pm
at Sophia Bhabha,Auditorium
Bhulabhai Desai Road,Sophia College Lane,Cumballa Hill, Mumbai
ACTORS- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar - Bajrang Bali Singh, M.K.Gandhi - Viren Basoya, Rama Bai- Shilpi Marwaha, Saurabh Pal, Malay Garg, Devdas Gandhi –Anish kumar / Gaurav Mishra, Sardar Patel -Shiv Chauhan, Sarojini Naidu -Disha Arora, Annie Besant -Smiriti Vij /Pooja Pradaan, Malviya -Pankaj Datta, Mahadev Bhai -Suraj Singh, CHORUS - Shilpi Marwaha,Rahul Khanna,Kakoli Gaur,Saveree Gaur,Himanshu Maggu,Shiv Chauhan,Disha Arora,Palak Bhutani,Suraj Singh,Pankaj Datta,Anish Kumar,Ketan Kalra,Narender Thakur,Himanshu Katara,Dipesh Mohlay,Manu Chowdhay,Manoj Yadav,Sachin Saxena,Abhay Malhotra,Gaurav Mishra,Tarun,Pankaj Sandilya ,Vallari Shrivastva,Vrinda Vedi...
Credits-
Poems- Avataar Singh Paash (पाश ),Shankar Shailendra ,Bhupen Hazarika,Bob Dylan ,
Music by Dr.Sangeeta Gaur
musicians - Sandy , Anil Mishra & Mohit Sharma
Group Incharge ; Viren Basoya
Production : Shiv,Rahul.Gaurav & himanshu
asmitatheatre@gmail.com
http://sites.google.com/site/asmitatheatre/Home
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GANDHI AND AMBEDKAR – REVIEWS
“Ambedkar aur Gandhi” is one of Asmita’s classics…Asmita’s latest presentation, young playwright Rajesh Kumar’s “Ambedkar aur Gandhi” was marked for healthy audience response both for its content and the director Gaur’s overall production design… Never before have I seen such an intelligent post-presentation discussion between the audience and the director. It just goes to show if the theme is relevant and the presentation professionally good, the audience is waiting for it...The cast does full justice to the playwright and were true to what the director was trying to get out of them.
Bajrang Bali Singh playing Ambedkar was excellent particularly in his last speech after Gandhiji’s death.Viren Basoya’s Gandhi, calm and collected throughout and yet emotional when he says he wants to be reborn as a Harijan. In response, the audience breaks out in a non-stop applause.
Apart from the two lead players, others who stand out are Shilpi Marwah as Rama Bai, Pankaj Raj Yadav as Devdas Gandhi, Malay Garg as Kedarkar, Raj Sharma as Sadanand and Rahul Datta as Sardar Patel.To lend colour to the presentation, there was, as usual, excellent music by Sangeeta Gaur and some popular songs that brought back old memories.“Ambedkar aur Gandhi”, to my mind is one of Asmita’s classics and Gaur’s best-directed presentations that must be taken around the Hindi speaking States...
-ROMESH CHANDER, The Hindu (An ongoing dialogue, 21 August, 2009)
http://beta.thehindu.com/arts/theatre/article6277.ece
Gandhi- Ambedkar debate moved, impressed the gathering …play succeeded in arousing the audience…debate received constant applause.
- Rashtriya Sahara
Politics takes centre stage...social political play about the geopolitical and social scenario in the country in 1930’s…reveals the two extreme thinking- Gandhi and Ambedkar …relation between the two despite their differences.
- Hindustan Times (Live correspondent)
Arvind Gaur’s 64th endeavour follows its predecessors- a social and political play… political dialogues on the social concerns of the time… antithetical views and the realisation that Gandhi Ambedkar’s vision was one, but means different — form the fabric of the play…issue of untouchability and the plight of the Dalits is a significant thread expressed in the play……..
- The Hindu (Preview)
Gandhi and Ambedkar attacked caste system…to stop untouchability, terminate caste system- thought expressed lively in the debate between Gandhi and Ambedkar…arguments received constant applause…war of thoughts between Gandhi and Ambedkar stirred the audience…expresses the clash of thoughts…chorus gave the play a new height.
- Dainik Hindustan
रंगमंच पर इतिहास के दो बड़े नायकों को ज्वलंत सामाजिक सवालों पर संवाद करते, समस्याओं से भरे इतिहास के उस जटिल दौर में आगे की राह तलाशते तथा वैचारिक रूप से गुत्थम-गुत्था होते देखना एक नया अनुभव है। ऐसा ही अनुभव राजेश कुमार का नाटक 'अम्बेडकर और गाँधी ' देता है। अस्मिता थियेटर ग्रुप, नई दिल्ली ने इस नाटक का मंचन लखनऊ के संत गाडगे प्रेक्षागृह ( उत्तरप्रदेश प्रदेश संगीत नाटक हैं ) में किया जिसकी परिकल्पना व निर्देशन अरविन्द गौड़ का था।
राजेश कुमार का यह नाटक विचार प्रधान है। इसका सारा ताना-बाना बहस और संवाद पर आधारित है। चूँकि यह बहस आज भी जारी है, इसलिए यह असमाप्त संवाद है। आमतौर पर हिन्दी में संवाद पर आधारित राजनीतिक नाटकों का अभाव रहा है । अरविंद गौड़ के निर्देशन और परिकल्पना की प्रशंसा की जानी चाहिए कि उन्होंने नाटक की प्रमाणिकता की रक्षा करते हुए संवादों पर केन्द्रित इस नाटक में कथा तत्वों, गीत-संगीत व दृश्यों का बेहतर संयोजन प्रस्तुत किया जिसने नाटक को पूरा गतिमय बनाये रखा।
नाटक के दो मुख्य पात्र हैं - अम्बेडकर और गाँधी। पूरा नाटक इनके इर्द-गिर्द चलता है। नाटक में ये दोनों पात्र आज के अम्बेडकर और गाँधी, जो प्रतिमाओं में कैद हैं, से अलग हैं . न महात्मा ये हैं और न मसीहा बल्कि मनुष्य हैं जिनमें खूबियां हैं तो मानवीय दुर्बलताएं भी हैं। लेकिन आज की पीढी इन्हे ' महात्मा ' और ' मसीहा ' के रूप में ही ज्यादा जानती है क्योंकि इनका परिचय बहुत-कुछ इसी रूप में कराया गया है। यहाँ पूजा भाव अधिक है। नाटक इस इमेज को तोड़ता है और नई पीढ़ी के अन्दर इतिहास को फिर से जानने-समझने की उत्सुकता पैदा करता है। इस नाटक में अवतार सिंह पाश की कविता ‘हम लड़ेंगे साथी’, ‘सबसे खतरनाक होता है सपनों का मर जाना’, शंकर शैलेन्द्र, भूपेन हजारिका व बाॅब दायलान के गीतों का बहुत सुन्दर इस्तेमाल हुआ है। दो दर्जन से अधिक कलाकार जब इन कविताओं और गीतों के साथ कोरस प्रस्तुत करते हैं तो इतिहास और अतीत का संघर्ष दर्शकों के सामने सजीव हो उठता है। गाँधी की भूमिका में वीरेन बसाया, अम्बेडकर के रूप में बजरंग बली सिंह, रमा बाई की भूमिका में शिल्पी मारवाह के साथ करीब तीस से अधिक कलाकारों से सजे इस नाटक की संगीत रचना डा0 संगीता गौड़ ने की। - कौशल किशोर, जन संस्कृति मंच, लखनऊ की पत्रिका
http://jasamlucknow.blogspot.com/2009/12/blog-post.html
Fight between the thoughts expressed brilliantly in the play…Gandhi and Ambedkar an unforgettable experience…expressed the conflicting thoughts of two political stalwarts with similar aim…
- Amar Ujaala
This religion cannot be reformed but only be rejected,” exclaims Ambedkar and declares his decision to change his religion from Hinduism, while Gandhi believes “Untouchability can be erased without disturbing the caste system.” Gandhi and his followers ask Ambedkar why changing of religion was important to him and in response Ambdekar asks Gandhi and Gandhians, why Swaraj is important to them. While Gandhi says “I will not let every village in this country be divided between touchables and untouchables,” Ambedkar cries out saying “I have no country.”- It is this kind of difference of opinions and thoughts in addressing and fighting the problems of history which takes the centre-stage in Aravind Gaur’s play AMBEDKAR AUR GANDHI, written by Rajesh Kumar.
With references made to the Poona pact, Kala Ram temple entry satyagraha, round table conference and Communal award the play unfolds the limitation of Gandhi in addressing the problem of untouchability and also his failure in attacking the root of the problem. The play also voices out the dissatisfaction in Ambedkar about the efforts put by Gandhi for the removal of untouchability. The dialogue by Ambedkar saying, “Why doesn’t Gandhi fast unto death for the cause of removal of untocuhability?” summarizes the dissatisfaction and also the dialogue saying, “Efforts of Congress to address the problem of untocuhability is like getting a new dress stitched during the festive season, every year.”
-B.A. Samvartha ('Sahil'), Research Scholar,Theater and Performance Studies, School of Arts and Aesthetics,JNU
http://crazymindseye.wordpress.com/2009/09/04/ambedkar-aur-gandhi/
बाबासाहब अंबेडकर और महात्मा गांधी सिर्फ दो व्यक्ति नहीं, दो ‘स्कूल’ हैं। दो वैचारिक केंद्र हैं। दो संस्थाएं हैं। दोनों आधुनिक भारत के सर्वाधिक विवादास्पद चरित्रों में हैं। चूंकि दोनों लीक से हटकर चले, इसलिए उन पर उनके समय से लेकर आज तक सवाल उठाये जाते रहे हैं। दोनों की मंजिल एक-दूसरे से जितनी मिलती थी, रास्ते उतने ही जुदा थे। दोनों के संदर्भ में सर्वाधिक दुखद यह है कि दोनों के अनुयायियों ने दो ऐसे विशाल खेमे बना लिये हैं, जो आपस में संवाद की कोई जरूरत नहीं समझते। अंबेडकरवादियों के लिए गांधी दलितविरोधी हैं तो गांधीवादियों के लिए अंबेडकर देशद्रोही। गांधीवादियों से अंबेडकर को पढ़ने की क्या अपेक्षा की जाए, वे गांधी को भी नहीं पढ़ना चाहते। कुछ ऐसी ही स्थिति अंबेडकरवादियों की है। इसका परिणाम यह हुआ कि अंबेडकर और गांधी के मूल्य और उनका संघर्ष कहीं पीछे छूट गया है।ऐसे समय में अंबेडकर और गांधी में संवाद की बेहद जरूरत है। इसी जरूरत को पूरा करने की दिशा में एक सार्थक प्रयास है अस्मिता थियेटर की नाट्य प्रस्तुति ‘अंबेडकर और गांधी’।
नाटक का महत्व इस दृष्टि से भी है कि यह एक बहुत बड़े ऐतिहासिक सत्य का उदघाटन करता है, वह है – तमाम मतभेदों के बावजूद अंबेडकर और गांधी एक-दूसरे से घृणा नहीं करते थे। गांधी की हत्या से अंबेडकर आहत होते हैं, वहीं दूसरी तरफ गांधी की इच्छा है कि अगर मेरा दुबारा जन्म हो तो महाशूद्र के रूप में हो। दोनों के मन में एक-दूसरे को अपनी बात न समझा पाने की कसक है। नाटक के अंत में अंबेडकर अपने इस कथन से दर्शकों को एक जिम्मेदारी सौंप जाते हैं, ‘अस्पृश्यता के सवाल पर हम अपने-अपने ढंग से लड़ रहे थे। गांधीजी संवाद अधूरा छोड़ कर चले गये’। अंबेडकरवादियों और गांधीवादियों को अपने-अपने खेमों से निकल कर इस संवाद को जारी रखने की जरूरत है। इस संवाद के अभाव का ही परिणाम है कि आरक्षण आदि मसलों पर अंबेडकरवादी और गांधीवादी कोई सहमति बनाने के बजाय उग्र हो जाते हैं। आज भी दलितों की मुक्ति से हम कोसों दूर हैं।
-गंगा सहाय मीणा (अंबेडकर और गांधी : संवाद जारी है ),भारतीय भाषा केंद्र, जेएनयू,.
http://mohallalive.com/2010/02/23/a-play-based-on-ambedkar-and-gandhi/
In fact the play operates at many levels to show the multiple layers of the thought processes of both the leaders and brings about the multi-layered confrontation due to the differences and conflicts between them. What makes the play more fascinating is the vivid illustration of the complexities of the freedom struggle and the different meanings, different sets of people assigned to it.
The play operates excellently at all three levels- content, technique and style. The content, despite being so rich in thoughts and ideological conflicts, is so clear and nuanced; it leaves no scope for confusion in viewer’s minds. . The dilemma in Ambedkar’s mind over Gandhi’s fast and his anguish over the sufferings of dalits has come out very clearly. At the same time, at no place Gandhi has been vilified and his own feelings toward the issue has been shown honestly. At the same time the style of the play with the evocative use of revolutionary poetry, make very clear, where the sensibilities of the director stands. The director adopts the stylistic genre of street play and thus puts himself in the seat of an activist rather than an armchair neutral analyst. Equally importantly, the efficient use of resources at his disposal in actor, poetry, light and space allow him to exploit the full potential of both the script and stage.
-Sushil Chandra
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=292761306399&topic=26080
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Audience's Comments-
whenever i think about the play 'Ambedkar aur Gandhi" it just force me to think about the aweso performances of asmita renowed actors as ambedkar ,gandhi and rama.....enthralls my nerves for the subject and brain neurons get activated for the script writer "Rajesh Kumar" heads down for his great and couragous effort to provide such a wonderful and appealing script and last bt nt yhe least... no doubt the script is powerful but to present it for mass is always challenging and the theatre ace "ARVIND GAUR" didnt left any stone untouched for the play..........so the result is here after seeing the play someone starts thinking again from the bottom of indian politics and some are saying "the play changed their thoughts abt gandhi and ambedkar"..... nw its your turn...... watch this play (going to be staged soon in delhi again) and decide urself "whether it cracks ur nerves and vibrate ur brain's neurons or not.............!!-- With Regards !!! - Arvind Keshri !!
preformace is really outstading no doubt ASMITA rocks
we need this play once more ASAP -Ajay Tyagi
AMBEDKAR AND GANDHI.... Waaooww... Just two word, AMAZINGLY AWESOME.The best play i have ever seen in my life as yet.The Director Mr Arvind Gaur's best work. This is a milestone from ASMITA THEATER GROUP -Sidharth Yash
Just got here after the performance, new play in asmita's lap. Hope the list goes on. viren basoya and bajrang bali's performance was splendid....but to be honest the thread which has given a new dimension to the cloth of debate between gandhi and ambedkar is ARVIND GAUR, this man is a genius. seeing actors viren and bajrang under Gaur's direction taught me a life time of acting....
I am proud to be a part of this production...- Shilpi Marwaha
Awesome play directed by arvind sir..it was d 1st time dat it was performed on 19th july..am glad i was one of d many who aw its world premier....congrats -Ridhima Bahl
This kind of bold theatre is necessary for our Society. Thanks
-Jasveer (Kapurthala)
"Ambedkar Aur Gandhi" play with brilliant use of actors on stage.Brilliant stage acting, amazing stage chemistry between 2 awesome actors : Bajrang Bali and Viren Basoya,Congratulations to both for a superb performance.
As a theatre enthusiast I want thank Mr. Arvind Gaur for the play , which not only forces us to think but also breaks our notions about the 2 most influential people in Indian history."Ambedkar aur Gandhi" a play recommended for every individual : who is hopeful for change, the one who is not afraid to go : up the hill and against the tide,the one not afraid to fight...Hope for more shows of this play. Excellent acting by Bajrang Bali Singh as Ambedkar ,Viren Basoya as Gandhi and Shilpi Marwaha as Rama -Shiv Chauhan
The play not only attacks the caste system but attacks all existing forms of inequality and discrimination. It is always overwhelming to see how the debate between Gandhi and Ambedkar actually arouses the audience to debate with each other as well. It is through this play that I have realised the importance of humanity. I'm proud to be a part of such an influential play.-Disha Arora
one of the best play seen so far...Great show!!!! simply mesmerising!!!!
-Nitin Gupta
Wonderful and amazing work ! great performance by all the actors ! Bajrang Bali is spell-binding... Yadavan Chandran ( Darpana Academy )
Its one of the best plays ever written in Indian Theater. I had the privilege of watching it once in Bhopal and I have become fan of Bajrang and Arvind sir. Great 2 hours, a play which leaves u in awe of the actors and the director. I hope they perform in Bhopal again.
- Kshitij Mathur. Bhopal
AYTW 2010 MUMBAI (December 5-9) @ Sophia Bhabha Auditorium...
Tickets priced at 100/-, 200/- and 300/- available at Rythm House and Planet M outlets.AYTW Mumbai Contacts- 09819717838, 09819717827 ; for details pls call : AG -09899650509,Shilpi Marwaha- 9540656537,Shiv Chauhan-9958793683,Suraj Singh-9999692525,Viren Basoya- 9911013630,Rahul Khanna-9711188856
Asmita- 'Samajik Sarokar Ke Beech Rangmanch'
