The Big Meet

For those of us who have seen India’s freedom struggle merely as a summary spread over thirteen chapters in a textbook, the reality is always an unknown and enigmatic realm. It is almost next to impossible to fathom each and every occurrence and its significance in the prolonged period of one and a half centuries. Hence, a curious excitement is invariably aroused when you are promised a glimpse at a tiny bit of that dark region. The play called ‘Bhet’ (Meeting) which carried Fergusson College to the finals of the Purushottam Cup this year gives us no less of a delicious 40-minute glimpse.

The chief quality which makes this play ‘delicious’ is not so much its captivating nature as its structural simplicity. A meeting; and that’s all it was. A meeting of two minds; two honourable mentions in our fight. The essence of the play can be simplified to such an absurdly flat report : Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose paid a visit to Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. These were played by the versatile and proficient pair of Rugved Soman and Ojas Marathe respectively. For actors as good as them, a play consisting of nothing but a prolonged dialogue may prove to be a challenge, which they took on and delivered.

This was the whole cast, not counting the special appearance of Shantanu Velhal as the great man’s manservant. Other than this, the whole thing happens in the living room, and not the tiniest bit of the furniture moves an inch throughout. Neither are there any vigilant stagehands ready to make those quick changes during blackouts, nor are there any blackouts, for that matter. All that happens is that he comes and they talk. And what they say leaves you so mesmerized you almost forget to rise and clap with the rest of them.

In cases like these, everyone usually has a general idea. We all know Savarkar to be an inspiring figure who regarded this fight against the British as open war, and who believed in smoking them out of our country like they do with bees in a tree trunk. And obviously Bose was no dedicated and keen supporter of non-violence either. What would these great men do when they meet face to face and are sure of not being overheard? Though that might be the story on the records, one can hardly expect them to exchange a few pleasantries, ask after each other’s health, talk about the climate of Mumbai and leave. That simply can’t be it. This is why I think that the very first impression of this play itself suggests a massive conspiracy. And, when you’ve already anticipated that, these guys do not disappoint in the slightest.

History tells us that Bose fled to the west in a most ingenious fashion and began to build up a following in favour of the Indian freedom struggle in Germany, quite a while after this meeting took place. Here, we are presented the possibility that Savarkar was the mastermind, or one of the masterminds, behind the inception of such an ambitious move. Previous contact had already suggested that they both shared similar views about the ways in which freedom could be won. In this meeting Savarkar practically laid out the plan in front of Bose, who liked it more and more as every new bit of it unfolded. It is not simply a one-sided guidance lecture either; Bose has his own suggestions to make, some of which are refined by Savarkar and some instantly agreed with. This clever bit of scriptwriting suggests an even more exciting possibility. Bose already had ideas about the task he so readily undertook, and in Savarkar he found a staunch supporter and aid. At a point during the play, Savarkar mentions that he waited seven years for this meet to happen, which makes it hard to believe that Bose was given a whole new direction by Savarkar when they met. Though the play openly suggests that that is what happened, it also hints that both men were probably preparing for such an event for a long time and were in accordance with each other’s thoughts throughout.

One would think that just two people talking for so long would be intrinsically boring to sit through. But that’s not what happens. What happens is that you are not stuck in the chair but glued to it. All the pointed references to events we all know about notwithstanding, this play also has its fair share of the dramatic. There are several times when a reply throws you off-balance in awe. Furthermore, the ingenious ways in which Savarkar passes on secret information to Bose was enough to overwhelm the audience with excitement. After the meeting and a focus on Savarkar lost in thought, the big booming voice at the start returns to present the conclusion, immediately followed by the crackling sound of news of Bose’s successful journey to the west on the radio. Nothing is as precious as the completion of a circle.

There is a point, however, where the play gets a tad too dramatic. While discussing the deeper issues of life, Savarkar asks Bose how he would like to die. Bose’s elaborate answer sends a chill down your spine. All of us, being aware of the circumstances of Bose’s tragic demise some years after this event, find it hard to sit through his description of a grand way to die. To the rational mind it seems a bit too superficial; it was almost as if he knew. It is, of course, presented in a way that suits the rest of the play, but it leaves one wondering whether it would have been better had it been a bit more vague.

Our freedom struggle is a tale of endless bravery, and I would be remiss if I didn’t appreciate the bravery it takes to put such a play up for public scrutiny. What with controversies all around and the chances of ruffling some feathers, great credit goes to the writer and the whole team for being fearless in their way. Such plays always have a great risk of encountering prejudice, but this is why they best represent the purity of art. No one can say if that risk was or will be realized, but this play is moving on. It recently won a consolation at a competition in Mumbai and also built up a great following. Let us wish this play a successful run of several performances as it talks about, and at its heart expresses, freedom.