Kolhatkar Bahurupi 1959

Bahurupi
Author(s): Chintaman Rao Kolhatkar and Kusumavati Deshpande

Source: Indian Literature , Apr.—Sept. 1959, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Apr.—Sept. 1959), pp. 98-100
Published by: Sahitya Akademi
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/23329335
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Bahurupi
by Chintaman Rao Kolhatkar
The success of an autobiography depends, among other things,

primarily on two or three elements. The life portrayed need not
be crowded with events; but it must be rich in inward experi
ence. It has to be the story of a mind which has lived fully and
not merely existed; the experience has to be keenly comprehend
ed and assimilated and not merely blundered through. Then,
the writer must also, have the creative power to mould this mate
rial of experience into a clear and communicable shape. He
must have the gift of communication. A glimpse into Kolhat
kai's autobiographical book makes it clear that he possesses all
these in abundance.
'Bahurupi' is a type of wandering actors who go from door to

door playing a variety of roles. The call of the 'Bahurupi' im
mediately attracts a crowd. Like its namesake, this book holds
the reader from the start. True to the author's life-long disci
pline of the dramatic world, it opens with an incident full of
thrill and suspense. It is the story of the arrest of a youngster
by a bloodthirsty squad of British police, as an accomplice in
a political assassination. Temporary relief was brought to the
youngster by the British seargent's appreciation of his powerful
recitation of the Marathi translation of Othello's great speech of
Farewell to Arms. íThat was how the histrionic talent of young
Kolhatkar saved him in a critical situation.
With this as a start, Kolhatkar leads the reader through a maze

of changing circumstances and shifting scenes. He gives us a
poignant portrait of his mother, weighed down with one bereave
ment after another, and of his sister, who suffered throughout
her short life and ended it at the moment of her husband's death.
These are as effective as character sketches in a well-written
novel. There is a whole panorama of uncles and cousins, of life
in Jabalpur, Satara and Poona, of activities — academic and dra
matic, agricultural and commercial. The author moves through
these early scenes of his life as if goaded inevitably by an inner
urge towards the theatre world.

152.58.177.135 on Tue, 26 Nov 2024 12:05:14 UTC
BAHUBUPI 99
The book consists of two main parts. The first, known as

'Swagat,' is autobiographical. It takes the story of the author's
life up to his entry on the stage. The second part, which was
conceived and begun earlier as a series on' dramatists of plays
he acted in and whom he describes as 'his dramatists, 'consists
of 32 sketches. Out of these, 24 dramatists belong to the early
part of Kolhatkar's career, Khadilkar and Gadkari being the
most important among them. In the latter part of his career,
the author came in contact with eight modem playwrights; the
chief among them is Mama Warerkar. These sketches are writ
ten purely from a subjective point of view but they are authen
tic, vivid and convincing. The most elaborate of these is the
sketch of Ram Ganesh Gadkari. It is one of the finest parts of
the book. It is more effective than some of the full-length bio
graphies of this strange, short-lived genius. Another equally
vivid portrait is of the sage-like personality Khadilkar —as self
less and disciplined as a rishi, also as inflammable and firm of
word. Both these sketches are imbued with a deep reverence.
Indeed, one of the most remarkable features of these sketches is

the deep reverence with which Kolhatkar describes the drama
tists and directors he came in contact with as a young actor.
Yet he sees them objectively too. He recaptures and even con
veys to the reader the profound devotion and feeling of hero
worship he had for these men of genius. But he also looks at
them in a detatched manner, wistfully, nostalgically as shades
of a departed glory. He is not undiscriminating in his hero
worship. He can underline the portrayal with sarcasm and
humour when the occasion arises. He has a clear sense of values
and human relationships. His judgment of dramatic writing is
keen and balanced. His description and analysis of the beha
viour of various dramatists can be very revealing. The narra
tion is at once an account of the landmarks of the history of the
Marathi stage and Kolhatkar's own evolution as one of the finest
actors it has had. The insight and sturdy emotion revealed in
these sketches speaks volumes of the depth and equilibrium of
the writer's own personality. The sketches of the thirty-three
dramatists provide.a vivid portrait of the author himself.

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100 INDIAN LITERATURE : APR.—SEPT. 1959
The book is a treasure-house of information about the great days

of the Marathi stage —its conventions, its patrons and audien
ces, its equipment and personnel. It is full of anecdotes about
actors and writers, about rehearsals and great performances,
thrilling first nights and tours of different places. Dramatic
companies toured over the major cities of Maharashtra, met
different types of audiences, with their particular flairs, likes and
dislikes. The troupes also visited princely states and gave com
mand performances. Bahurupi opens out the whole panorama
of about fifty years of stage-life in Maharashtra with its social
setting.
Bahurupi is not quite Kolhatkar's first attempt at .writing. He

narrates a superb story of how Gadkari once gave him the out
line of a plot and said, "Kolhatkar, this is your play. You must
write it!" Kolhatkar knew himself too well to attempt that. He
goes on to narrate how that strange and wayward 'master' of his,
asked him to 'give him his play.' Kolhatkar had to repeat the
words to satisfy the whim of his 'master.' Later, Kolhatkar did
complete an unfinished farce by Gadkari called Vedyancha
Bazar, years after the death of the writer. It was also staged
later. But Kolhatkar's literary achievement in Bahurupi could
not possibly have been forecast on the basis of that dramatic
writing. In this book, Kolhatkar writes like a seasoned littera
teur, his style scintillating with periods of classic dramatic
style, delicate touches of emotive writing as well as chaste and
direct expression of profound feeling.
Kolhatkar has advantages of heritage and literary training. The

family of Kolhatkars could boast of two dramatists and a jour
nalist of repute, when Chintaman Rao was in his teens. His mind
is also evidently saturated with words of the great dramatists
whose characters he brought to life on the stage. Even so, the
style and structure of Bahurupi are rare and surprising in their
beauty. Their springs are surely deep down in a magnificent per
sonality.
Kusumavati Deshpande

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Bahurupi

Author(s): Chintaman Rao Kolhatkar and Kusumavati Deshpande

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/23329335

This content downloaded from

by Chintaman Rao Kolhatkar

The success of an autobiography depends, among other things,

'Bahurupi' is a type of wandering actors who go from door to

With this as a start, Kolhatkar leads the reader through a maze

This content downloaded from

The book consists of two main parts. The first, known as

Indeed, one of the most remarkable features of these sketches is

This content downloaded from

The book is a treasure-house of information about the great days

Bahurupi is not quite Kolhatkar's first attempt at .writing. He

Kolhatkar has advantages of heritage and literary training. The

This content downloaded from

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