It’s been 27 years, but Sushama Deshpande still essays the powerful role of Savitribai Phule, the 19th-century Marathi poet and social reformer, with as much passion and admiration for the woman as she did when she first staged her play. It comes as no surprise then that Deshpande has become deeply connected to Savitribai, to a point when getting into character is almost therapeutic for her.
We meet in the light of the upcoming Mumbai Local by Junoon talk, ‘Savitri, Me and Much More’, and discuss the commanding characters she creates, how she integrates numerous arts into her plays, and what it means to be Savitribai Phule.
“I have always been surrounded by strong women,” says the playwright, actor and former journalist. “And I’ve only thought it obvious to portray my characters like that.” Deshpande grew up on a farm in Baramati, and shared deep relationships with the women working there. “When I perform in rural areas, the women think I’m some actor from the city. When they discover I’m familiar with their lives, they interact with me on a different level.”
Having spent her childhood in Maharashtra meant that Deshpande grew up listening to stories of Savitribai. Drawn to her personality, the actor read more about the iconic woman as a journalist until she decided she had to share Savitribai’s life with everyone through Vhay Mi Savitribai . “Even with Bayaa Daar Ugadh , I discovered modern feminist thought in the poetry of women saints of Maharashtra between the 13th and 18th centuries”. Deshpande was enraptured by their uninhibited submission to Lord Vitthal, and realised that the divine was only a medium of expression that was essentially feminist in its character.
Her experimental plays do not just draw from history. Deshpande looks for inspiration from an array of subjects. For instance, in Prakaran Pahile , she delves into the nuances of human relationships through an exchange between a son and his father’s mistress after the death of his father.
On the other hand, Chitragoshhti was developed when Deshpande was moved by the drama in artist Sudhir Patwardhan’s paintings. “He gave character to Lower Parel,” says Deshpande. “It was beautiful how I could see a story spring out of each of his pieces”. This intermingling of arts is not foreign to the playwright. For Bayaa DaarUgadh she incorporates live music and dance to bring the poetry of the saint to life.
When Deshpande had to inject life into Savitribai’s character, she devised innovative means to reach out to her audience. “I realised that, especially in rural areas, my audiences were not prepared to see the play,” she says. “So I decided to speak to them by taking on her character in front of them. I would get into costume while interacting with the people about who she was, and realised that this helped them connect with the performance on a much deeper level.”
Soon Deshpande became synonymous with her character. “Once a woman from the audience held my face and said, ‘Khoon ka rishta laga hai tere Savitri ke saath’ [you’re connected to Savitri by blood],” she recollects, and laughs.
The thespian describes how she gets into character just as easily as one would change clothes. “Often, when I’m down I tap into her character.
Being her energetic self makes me ask myself, ‘if someone like this can exist, why be depressed?’”.
Desphande will share this intertwined experience, her many plays, and working with non-acting communities in her talk ‘Savitri, Me and Much More’.
Mumbai Local: ‘Savitri, Me And Much More’ will be held at Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum on Sunday at 5 p.m. Entry is free and on a first-come-first-served basis. Email:info@junoontheatre.org. Contact: 9833344173 f
The writer is an intern with The Hindu
I have
always been surrounded by strong women
,” says the playwright, actor and former journalist. “And I’ve only thought it obvious to portray my characters like that
Published - July 09, 2016 12:00 am IST
