The stage is black, melancholy music plays in the background, and the 2,000 seats of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium are filling up as the Delhi government welcomes Babasaheb: The Grand Musical, a two-hour-long musical celebrating Ambedkar’s life.
‘Who were the shudras?’, ‘The untouchables?’, ‘Federation versus freedom?’, ‘The Annihilation of Caste?’, and ‘Riddles in Hinduism?’ – these are some of the phrases that appear on the stadium’s digital screens.
The musical, produced by the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, is a social reflection on the Dalit community’s struggles in colonial India.
The musical, which debuted on February 25, is being performed twice daily at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., free of charge, at the weightlifting auditorium in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium until March 24.
The Delhi government’s tribute to historic figures like Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh, Phule, and Ravidas stands out in a society enamored with singing, dance, and Bollywood.
“The seed for this was sown about two years ago when I was travelling for a workshop and met some staunch followers of Babasaheb in Ireland, who were not even Indian,” recalls Mahua Chauhan, the play’s director, who began with a solemn astrological prediction before his birth and went on to show how he designed a constitution that is fair and just for all seven decades ago.
The drama, creatively directed by Roshan Abbas, receives loud ovation every time Ambedkar (Rohit Roy) makes a position for himself, whether it’s during his meeting with Gandhi at Yerwada jail to sign the Poona Pact, the jal (water) satyagraha, or reciting the Constitution’s Preamble.
Chauhan’s 120-minute extravaganza is divided into two parts, each depicting a pivotal moment in Ambedkar’s life: his childhood, experiences as a ‘Dalit’ lawyer, role in India’s freedom struggle, ideological differences with Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi, and death in 1956.
The overall story, on the other hand, is about the oppression he endured as a Mahar, a Dalit community primarily from Maharashtra.
The musical’s narrator, Teekam Joshi, takes the audience on a journey through Ambedkar’s life. The play’s lyrics were written by Vineet Panchhi and Kausar Munir.
Indian Ocean band offers respect with its music
The music for this performance was also composed just for it by the Indian Ocean band. “It was a privilege to compose music that honors the life of this great Indian,” says Rahul Ram, the band’s bass guitarist. We’ve written eight songs for the musical, and it’s taken a lot of time and effort.
Bhimachi Jai is the anthem song we wrote, which was recorded in Delhi and features a touch of Lavni, which is something new for us, and we had a lot of fun writing it.”
A total of 30 actors from a Mayur Vihar-based actors’ studio will join them on stage. “The supporting cast has come from all around India for the show, and we were all thrilled to rehearse together, after the third wave of Covid cast its spell in January that delayed this performance,” says Suprabh Chakraverty, one of the musical’s actors and dancers. But now we’re back on stage!”
What the actors and the audience think about the play
As the curtains of this big production close, actor Rohit Bose Roy is overjoyed to be able to finally visit Delhi. “It’s lucky for me that I was chosen as one of the few performers to portray Babasaheb. In my 25-year career, I can confidently state that this has been my most difficult role.
I have nothing in common with Babasaheb Ambedkar, and you rarely see a moving image of him. I needed to make a character that was as near to him as possible. I haven’t tried to put any make-up on him or give him a moustache. I’m dressed in his colors and glasses, but we didn’t aim to imitate his appearance; instead, we tried to match the character’s emotion.”
“I’ve been immersing myself in this role for the last 30 days, and I’ve been away from Mumbai for the previous month and a half,” he says. ‘Babasaheb is speaking to us,’ the thousand people who are sitting and watching me should think.
If I can do that, I’ll have accomplished what I set out to do. You may do whatever you want with a larger-than-life fictitious character, but with a genuine human, you have to be faithful to their soul.”
“I’m really looking forward to being a part of this play because it provides me an opportunity to come to Delhi where I finished my undergrad,” says actor Tisca Chopra, who is narrating the story in the role of a host (Delhi University). And, in any case, Delhi looks beautiful in this weather.”
“I, too, am a member of Dr. Ambedkar’s community. It gives me great pleasure to see his life, career, and beliefs honored in this way,” said a former government employee who did not want to be identified.
Published By :- Tarsem Singh
Edited By :- Khushi Thakur
