Pune Balgandharva to come alive on film

PUNE: The charismatic persona of Narayan Shripad Rajhans, better known as Balgandharva, will come to life in the eponymous film that will be shown at a special screening in Pune on May 5.
Featuring Subodh Bhave as the 'sangeet natak' stalwart, and Vibhavari Deshpande, as his wife, 'Balgandharva' has been directed by Ravi Jadhav - of 'Natarang'-fame - and produced by well-known set designer, Nitin Desai.
"It is a dedication to the golden era of Marathi theatre and an attempt at bringing to life one of the finest theatre artistes, who was known for his creative and artistic grandeur over 100 years ago," said Bhave, at a press interaction organised by the Pune union of working journalists on Friday.
Written by Abhiram Bhadkamkar, the film also features Rahul Solapurkar, Kishore Kadam and vocalist Rahul Deshpande, among others. Bhave depicts the spirited side of Balgandharva, who elevated female roles during a period wherein women were prevented from performing on stage.
"Balgandharva is credited with lending importance and respect to people working in theatre in an era when the field was shunned upon by society. For him, theatre was a weapon to address and fight the evils of colonial rule," added Bhave.
The film shows Balgandharva as an individual dedicated to his art and struggling against all odds in his professional and private life.
"The biggest challenge for us was to recreate the Balgandharva period to as close as it actually was," said Jadhav.
Roles like Bhamini in 'Maanapman' (1911) and Rukmini in 'Swayamwar' (1916) rendered by Balgandharva attained iconic status. While preparing for the role, Bhave referred to the literature on Balgandharva, the plays he performed and most importantly, photographs showing Balgandharva in his myriad roles.
Bhave's performance in the recently-revived 'sangeet natak', 'Katyar Kaljat Ghusli' helped him understand the finer nuances required for his role in 'Balgandharva.'
"I've realised that there's a certain allure to the genre of 'sangeet natak' and that this genre of theatre should be respected, studied and understood," said Bhave, who was guided by doyens of sangeet natak - Jayamala and Kirti Shiledar - and history scholar Babasaheb Purandare, among others.
The film's research began in Pune last year. "It highlights Balgandharva's ability to present visual splendour to his audiences by putting up sets costing Rs 75,000 and accessorising his actors with jewellery worth Rs 25,000 back then. He was also deep in debt of Rs 1.5 lakh, but was able to rise out of it through his single-minded devotion and dignity to his art and a progressive attitude," said Desai.
Cinematographer Mahesh Limaye said, has tried to recreate a colour palette to evoke the feel of that era.
"We've referred to several paintings of Raja Ravi Verma, who was a huge influence on Balgandharva."Limaye said.
The music of the big-budget production is being mastered in London.
"The film will be shown at the New York Film Festival, Cannes International Film Festival and Venice International Film Festival in the coming months," said Desai.