Gandhi.

A man who, for most Indians, has become such an ingrained part of our consciousness that discussion of him as a human being is now almost impossible in the country. A holy cow who must be addressed in deferential, almost divine terms-so much so that in 60 years of Independence we have not been able to find a single other person to grace any denomination of our currency notes.

Thus it was with much trepidation as well as expectation that I went for Prime Time Theatre’s (Lilette Dubey’s production company) production of ‘Sammy!’, based on Gandhi’s life. Would the play tread the oft-trod path, or would it attempt to pierce the veil?

The two-act play, written by Pratap Sharma, essentially seeks to explore the transformation of Gandhi the man to the Mahatma he later became, or had thrust open him (depending on your point of view). The play uses the oft-used device of two actors playing alter egos  to depict this transformation. Thus, we have television actor Joy Sengupta playing Mohandas Gandhi, while Ravi Dubey (Lilette’s husband, returning to the stage after a 20-year gap) as the Mahatma. Other actors include Neha Dubey as Kasturbha (yes, it is a family business; sister Ira does the lighting for the play) and Anuradha Menon, better known as Channel V’s Lola Kutty, in several ensemble roles including Sarojini Naidu.

The play gets off to a shaky start, mostly due to the way Mohandas is portrayed. Joy Sengupta’s Mohandas starts off as caricature, with that peculiar Charlie Chaplin gait and stilted English that most British/American films foist on Indian actors. But since this is an Indian play and most of us have seen Gandhi’s voice speak with very little accent, the significance of this is lost on the viewer and only serves to distract. Neha Dubey’s Kasturba, on the other hand, is an unalloyed joy, bringing to the fore the dichotomy between Gandhi’s public and private persona. Trying to make ends meet under trying circumstances, she demonstrates a common-sensical approach to life that often holds Gandhi together, bowing under the weight of the philosophy he chooses to live by.

The same, however, cannot be said for Ravi Dubey’s Mahatma, although this is more a function of the script than shortcomings in his performance. His philosophical discourses on karma and the path Mohandas should follow, grate on the viewer, reducing the philosophy of one of the century’s greatest to management jargon in bite-sized capsules.

The predominant emotion as one approaches the intermission is one of laughter, not perhaps ideal for the occasion.

The second half, focusing on the period after Gandhi’s return from South Africa, is diametrically different. The characters begin to be fleshed out and there is greater cohesiveness and flow in the play. Joy Sengupta becomes slightly better as well, but his continued Charlie Chaplin demeanour and slightly shallow portrayal continues to distract from the content of his dialogue. The second act also has (for me) the standout out performance of the play, with Zafar Karachiwala as Nehru. Zafar portrays his Nehru with just the right pukka British accent and slightly agnostic arrogance. His discomfort with many of Gandhi’s policies, especially his vision of returning India to some imaginary pre-industrial Utopia, is well brought out.  Anuradha Menon strives hard to move beyond her Lola Kutty avatar, and even succeeds partially. There is an absolutely breathtaking sequence right at the beginning of the act, where Mohandas and the Mahatma coalesce into one in this act as well.

In the final analysis, the play is competently (if somewhat unevenly) acted, well-produced and serves as a window to a more humane, real Gandhi. But several questions remain unanswered: The enigma of Gandhi’s changing views on several issues over the years and the reasons behind them; the dichotomy behind his public persona and his troubled personal life (especially his relationship with his son, who converted to Islam and became a drunkard) and issues of religiosity and caste in the Indian context.

Worth a look, as we try to remember and re-interpret Gandhi’s legacy as we approach the 59^th year of our Independence.