Ghashiram Kotwal

Ghashiram Kotwal

                    -Vijay Tendulkar

Vijay Tendulkar was a leading playwright, movie and TV. writer, literary essayist, political journalist and social commentator primarily I Marathi. He best known for his play

“Shantanu !  Court Chalu ahe”

“Ghashiram Kotwal”

“Sakharam Binder”

Many of Tendulkar’s plays derived inspirational from real life incidents.

He began his career from newspaper. He had written several plays but didn’t get response from audience therefore he took vow to not write but again breaking his vow in 1956 he wrote “Shrimant” which establish him as a good writer.

This play is satire on city or powerful people who are cheating with poor people for their own benefit. The lower classes are kind and honest but they change their attitude after the interaction with upper class (authority). The story is raise and fall of Kanaujian Brahmin. Ghashiram is a protagonist but yet he becomes antagonist in a way.

Ghashiram is a Kanaujian Brahmin. He comes to city with a dream of golden future. He caught as a thief on the first day in the city. He was arguing that he is not thief but police are not listening and then he took a vow

“I’ll make pig, pigs of all of you.

I will make this Poona a kingdom of pigs.

Then I’ll be Ghashiram again the son of Savaldas one more”.

He is a Brahmin come with a hope to Poona.  He is an honest and full of all good qualities but the police made mistake and s he decide to be a cruel.

“The thief is a simple thief,

The police are official thief”.

The official people don’t know the rules and regulation of their status. They are not dutiful towards their job but they are doing for the sake of power or money.

Nana asked Gaudi from Ghashiram. First he decline but later on agree with one condition that

“To shut people’s mouth makes me the Kotwal of Poona”

He surrender his daughter to Nana and he made such a trick rules for people like nothing do wrong without permit, nobody moves on road after 11pm, if any go against rule then he will give dangerous punishment.

For example: A man was not thief but Ghashiram pll out his nail and wash by lemon juice soap and a steel heated boll given in his hand.

While the authority of Ghashiram crime and prostitution are decrease where as prisoner and revenue are increase.

Gauri Oder Nana does Ghashiram rules”

He is totally in insanity of taking revenge. He fail to understand the true face of Nana. He becomes a toy of Nana’s hand and Poona’s people are not trust on him because e is an outsider. Everyone is anger on him. He has misused the power.

Nana Phadnavis is a lustful man. There are prostitution areas in his authority. He has power so no one can shake him. He is destroyed the life of poor girls. Once he offers any girl then any how he works to get her like Gauri.

How beautiful formed

What a lovely figured!

Did you see!

Whenever he look at new girl then ever some deeds grow up in his heart. He misused his power.

Early there was all permission for powerful people. Nana had six marriages and the seventh marriage displayed in the play.

“Peshawar’s chief minister is still young and his mustache not turn grey his teeth are not gone, look is not enough”

Here we find irony that Nana is old but still he is marriage. There doesn’t make age difference for Nana to marriage. Even he is not considering the life of bride. He is happy with his life and other side people are victim of his joy.

Later on, Ghashiram asked about his daughter but he doesn’t respond properly. He is in search of his daughter and found that she is no more. He starts regretting and feels guilty for his condition. He confused everything but what is the need of it because everything is done.

Again he goes to take revenge with Nana but Nana has power to make people relax. At first Nana afraid of Ghashiram but then he though the lesson of Bhagvat Geeta.

“This hand never kills even an insect”

“In this hand is only the flute of Krishna”.

He pretending as he is not sinner. He is pure man. He advice him that death is meaningless and body will not stay on earth only remain ass. He thinks that he is a knowledgeable and behaved as a God. He is giving the lesson of existentialism that meaningless life and meaningless death.

The people were not satisfied with the reign of Ghashiram so they raised voice against him. They gave one paper to Nana for sign and they success. They come to near the Ghashiram’s house and throw stone on Ghashiram. He is speaking as

“Hit me beat me

Beat me some more

Hit me”

He killed as an animal. To tie with an elephant leg and he die. The city, Poona becomes the symbol for his life that he had not only ruined his status and himself but also his family.

This play we can compare with “The Whit Tiger” by Arvind Adiga. Ghashiram and Balram belong to village and they transfer to city with the hope of achieving something. They are honest but after the connection with city people they changed their life. How the superior are looking at inferior or villager is a common thing in both. We get the idea of Hegel’s master – slave mentality in both.

One difference we can find in Ghashiram Kotwal that Ghashiram is victim and destroyed by people or boss where as in white tiger Balram Hawaii killed his boss, Ashok.