To celebrate legacy of Netaji on his 126th birth anniversary, a new play called ‘The Bose Legacy’, is garnering appreciation.
It is only fitting that I’m writing an article on one of India’s most loved freedom fighters on the occasion of India’s Republic Day celebration. Subhas Chandra Bose, who was also known as Netaji, was a freedom fighter with a prominent voice in the Indian independence movement. Through sheer strength of will, he collected, trained and led an Indian national armed force against the Western powers during World War II.
To celebrate his legacy and pay tribute to his 126th birth anniversary, a new English language play called ‘The Bose Legacy’, produced by Brinda Shankar of Playpen Performing Arts Trust and promoted by ShowCase Events and Indianuance, is doing the rounds of the country and garnering appreciation. After successful performances in Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Jamshedpur, it is set to be performed at Mumbai’s Kala Ghoda Arts Festival on February 6, at 8.30 pm.
Nanni Singh, the CEO of ShowCase events says, “We are delighted to be given this opportunity of being the executive producer of this prestigious play capturing a fascinating piece of history. Subhas Chandra Bose was an Indian nationalist, known for his role in India’s independence movement, a participant of the non-cooperation movement and a leader of the Indian National Congress. Netaji always championed the equal participation of women and men in social, economic and political fields. He spoke with great admiration and deep reverence about brave women like Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi, Pritilata Waddedar, Kalpana Das, and many others who participated in the revolutionary struggle against the British rule. Soon after the Indian National Army was formed, he instituted the Rani Jhansi regiment for women volunteers, who, if necessary, would take part in active combat. Gandhiji called him a ‘Prince among the Patriots’. Bose has piqued the imagination of numerous writers and filmmakers throughout the country, resulting in a slew of books and films.”
Aishwarya Natarajan of Indianuance adds, “This play not only gives an insight into the minds of two great men at the cusp of the freedom struggle, but also shares a fascinating perspective of the events that shaped Indian history. It is unique as it lets us into the personal world of the brothers, giving us a peek into the trials and tribulations of the freedom struggle, through anecdotes and correspondences hitherto unknown to the public. We are delighted to be a part of this production.”
This play is an adaptation of the book ‘The Bose Brothers and Indian Independence: An Insider’s Account’ by Madhuri Bose, grandniece of Netaji. The book itself is based on the letters written by the Bose brothers from their time in prison. Scripted by Nikhil Katara and Himali Kothari, the play brings these letters from the book to life, and offers a true account of history.
The protagonist of the play is Amiya Nath Bose, who was born in 1915 in a family of stalwarts working to end British oppression. His father Sarat Chandra Bose and uncle Subhas Chandra Bose, were often imprisoned or detained. Yet they stayed connected with young Amiya through their letters, which were sent from prison cells and faraway lands, in good times and bad.
Brinda Shankar, founder of Playpen Performing Arts Trust, highlights the research that went into putting this play together, “The play on the lives of Subhas and Sarat Chandra Bose, through the eyes of Amiya Bose, was put together by playwrights Nikhil Katara and Himali Kothari over many months of reading letters collected by Madhuri Bose. Their principal inspiration was her book which included letters, telegrams and diary entries during the critical phase of Indian Independence. The production has been documented as a film and has been staged a few times. Each performance in Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Jamshedpur has received a standing ovation and very touching comments from the audience.”
This is evident from audience messages such as the one given by Hitesh Gajaria, Senior Advisor KPMG India, who said, “Goosebumps!! This is one play no one should miss. Enjoyed every moment of it!” Actress Dipika Amin shared, “What a wealth of information! So many things we didn’t know. Very touching – the performances, the stage craft. A must watch for all age groups.”
Singh explains the reason for the overarching appeal of the play, “Given that the play is inspired from a critically acclaimed book, the stage performance of the play leaves you awestruck and with goosebumps. It’s also great that the play is not political in content but nationalist and very relevant even today.”
ShowCase Events and Indianuance are proud to be associated with ‘The Bose Legacy’ produced by Brinda Shankar of PlayPen Performing Arts Trust, with the creative direction of Mahesh Dattani and director Nikhil Katara. They have happily taken on the responsibility of sharing Netaji’s rich legacy through this riveting play, across India and the globe.
Noor Anand Chawla pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com.