Protest against the play for ridiculing revered Hindu leaders

Vaishakh Krushna Navami

By Staff Reporter

Mumbai (Maharashtra): Currently, shows of a new Marathi play, written by Shri. Santosh Pawar and directed and produced by Shri. Santosh Kanekar, titled ‘Aamhi Paachpute’ are being staged. The shows are being held by a theatre company called ‘Atharva Theatres’. Earlier, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti had strongly opposed a Marathi play tilted ‘Yadaa Kadachit’ and its shows were stopped.

The producer and writer of the play have once again played with religious sentiments of Hindus by staging the same play in a new form. (It seems that the producers, taking advantage of over-tolerance of Hindus, do not understand gentleman’s language. God (Dharma) will not forgive such heretics for making mockery of Hindus’ objects of worship – Editor) HJS has warned that they would start a State-wide agitation against the play in case the producers do not stop such mockery.

Although the names and costumes given to characters of the play are not identical to those in Mahabharata, even a child would be able to tell that drama in modern ‘Paachpute’ family is based on Mahabharata. In the second part, mockery of Mahabharata plot is even more. In this play, the family performing the part of ‘Kaurava’ has been sent to exile. The distorted plot of play thus makes mockery of our great epic ‘Mahabharata’. It is also quite clear that the plot has been lifted from this epic. Theatre Company ‘Atharva Theatres’ so also all those associated with the production of this play have been condemned by Hindu Janajagurti Samiti. Shri. Santosh Pawar writer of the play had told in an interview published in daily Marathi newspaper ‘Maharashtra Times’ that Sanatan Sanstha and HJS had strongly opposed the play ‘Yada Kadachit’. They used to demonstrate against the play very peacefully in Mumbai but outside Mumbai, they used stop the play by force or used to threaten. As a result, the shows of that play were stopped and a new play, excluding all references to Mahabharata, called ‘Aamhi Paachpute’ is being staged now. (HJS has always protested against the play ‘Yada Kadachit’ in a very lawful manner. It had regularly staged silent demonstrations so how can it threaten anyone? – Editor) Members of HJS learnt about it and a letter cum warning was issued to ‘Atharva Theatres’ that there should not be denigration of Hindu deities or epic ‘Mahabharata’ and its characters. A meeting was organized between S/Shri. Santosh Pawar and Santosh Kanekar, the writer/director of the play and office bearers of HJS viz. Shri. Madhav Deshpande, Shri. Kashiram Parab, Dr. Uday Dhuri and Miss Pratiksha Korgaonkar. It was proposed to show rehearsal of the play to HJS; but it was later decided that directly, the first show should be watched by the delegation of HJS. (This proves that HJS was not shown rehearsal as there was denigration of Hindu deities and characters from Mahabharata revered by Hindus- Editor) ‘Atharva Theatres’ later sent a letter to HJS confirming that there was no mockery of ‘Mahabharata’. Finally when the first show was watched, many controversial matters were noticed insulting objects worshipped by Hindus. There are a number of incidents identical to the story of Mahabharata in the play making mockery of the original plot.

Defamation of Hindu Dharma And Deities Through Plays

1. Indecent denigration of Hindu deities in play ‘Deva Kari Love’
2. Play on Subhadra Haran; Lord Krishna is shown as minister