In MAHADEVBHAI (1892 – 1942), the character that occupies centre stage is Mahadev Desai, secretary, and onlooker to Mahatma Gandhi. The play is based on the daily diary that Mahadevbhai maintained, in which he jotted down the innumerable letters to and by Gandhi, as well as conversations and banter, lectures, and discourses.
The form chosen is of lively storytelling, interspersed with humour, as one actor plays out various historical characters including Gandhi, Mahadevbhai, Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel, and Dr B R Ambedkar, among others. The play attempts to understand the thoughts and principles that Gandhi stood for; principles that are even more relevant in today’s world: non-violence, economic processes that favour the poorest of the poor, religious tolerance, removal of untouchability & discrimination, the status of women.
Mahadevbhai (1892-1942) attempts to remind us of the times that were, through a performance that is as captivating and charismatic as the men and women themselves.
Writer + Director: Ramu Ramanathan is a journalist, playwright and poet who has four books to his credit. Two of his plays will be published in 2025. He also pens columns for newspapers, and is the editor of PrintWeek and WhatPackaging? magazines.
Performer + Producer: Jaimini Pathak is an actor, theatre director, producer, and writer, who has acted in more than fifty plays and directed twenty. His current works include ‘Mahadevbhai (1892-1942)’ and ‘Laghu’. He is a regular face in cinema and web shows. Jaimini has written many plays for children, in addition to having been the co-editor of PT Notes, a monthly theatre newsletter published by Prithvi Theatre. Previously, he wrote a theatre column for the Indian Express called ‘In the Green Room’.
