A historical drama set in newly independent India revolves around a zamindar, played by Mita Vashisht, whose rigid beliefs are put to test by changing times
Mita Vashisht as Baisaab
Clad in a rich navvari sari, strings of golden beads around her neck, a heavy nath and piercing gaze in place, Mita Vashisht looks every bit an imposing zamindar of a wealthy Maharashtrian household. The senior TV and film actress is playing the lead role of Durgeshwari in the new historical drama Agnipankh, where she is joined by actors Satyajit Sharma, Gulki Joshi, Prasad Jawade and Raksha Shetty, among others. Directed by actor Ganesh Yadav, the Zee Theatre production is set in a newly independent India. Aslam Parvez had adapted the script in Hindi from the original written in Marathi by the late Prabhakar Laxman Mayekar.
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Rehearsals of the play in progress. Pics/Datta Kumbhar
Making up for her husband's inability to guard the family's reputation, Durgeshwari, or Baisaab as she is reverently called, is at the helm of the household's zamindari. All family matters - personal and financial - require the approval of the matriarch, who is proud of her Brahmin identity and disdains lower castes. But changing times, marked by the watershed moment of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination in the play, pose a challenge to her beliefs and a threat to the power she has enjoyed so far. "The play's title, Agnipankh, is based on the legend of the phoenix, which rises from its ashes," shares Yadav.
"When I read the script and the character of Baisaab, my great grandmother's image flashed before my eyes. I have childhood memories of her in a white silk sari; commanding and aloof. A Maharashtrian Brahmin herself, she even cooked her food separately," says Vashisht, who fleshed out the nuances of her character with this image in mind.
"As someone born 20 years after Independence, caste politics is not alien to me. My mother is a Gujarati and my father a Haryanvi, but what brought them together for an arranged marriage was their gotras. I also saw the Mandal agitation unfold before me," recalls Vashisht. "People may not talk about it today, but we continue to remain a caste-driven society."
Ganesh Yadav
For a two-hour marathon, Yadav shares that the play is full of surprises with punchy dialogues. "The relationships between the characters have been carefully carved out. For instance, though Baisaab's husband is no good at running the household, his deep love for her shines through," says Yadav, adding, "It's a treat to watch experienced actors on stage."
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