ATUL KULKARNI and NATARANG Rule the Roost - Interview & Film Review

Better late than never, the Hindi Cinema Blog has finally managed to watch the unmissable and highly acclaimed 'Natarang', Ravi Jadhav's filmic anthem to a man's passion for art and to standing for what one believes in, based on a novel by Dr. Anand Yadav. A story that has the capability of stirring audiences throughout the world, this is unquestionably one of the best Indian films we have come across this 2010! (see the trailer and official 'Natarang' website)

'Natarang' is set in the 1970s and is the story of Guna, a village wrestler with a love for Maharashtrian popular theatre (tamasha) who decides to create his own village troupe when he and his friends are suddenly hit by unemployment. Strong and manly, Guna dreams of writing a play in which he will portray a king but things take a different turn as he becomes confronted with the choice of playing a 'nachya' (effeminate character), without which he would have to say goodbye to any possibility of making his artistic dreams come true.

The film about his ravaging passion for popular theatre begins as a lighthearted story and progressively evolves towards the dramatic destiny of its main character as the plot thickens. 'Natarang' touches such sensitive subjects as gender roles and expectations in 1970s Maharashtra, the fear ofsurpassing oneself, art politics, family ties and society's prejudices.

Ravi Jadhav has brought together an extremely talented cast in which everyone should be mentioned, from the villagers to the politicians or to the beautiful heroine embodied by stunning Sonali Kulkarni.   



Sonali Kulkarni could make a fortune giving charm and spunk lessons

Nevertheless, the film's piece de resistance is Atul Kulkarni's performance. Whether it be as a wrestler or a man who plays an effeminate character, he has surpassed in our eyes many other actors of his generation in Indian cinema, firstly, for accepting to give it all to such a rich role, and secondly, by fulfilling it brilliantly to its absolute and full extent with a solid stroke of acting genius.

Atul, who recently granted our blog an interview for the charming and lively film 'Valu', is back to talk with us about his commitment to his role as wrestler cum pansy who transcends it all to reach inner freedom in 'Natarang'.

HCB – ‘Natarang’ focuses on lavani and tamasha (popular genres of Marathi music and theatre respectively) to tell its story. Are these cultural traditions that you have been acquainted with yourself?

AK – I have not seen tamasha the way you see it in the film because plays are no longer like this anymore and the tradition has lost its original form. The reference point in the film was old Marathi films from the 1960s and 1970s which were based on the tamasha form. Some of the most well known films made on tamasha background are V. Shantaram's and 'Natarang' is based on this type of film. Of course, there are also photographs or books of old lavanis that were also used as reference since new lavanis are not currently being written, only sometimes for films, but not for performances on stage even if old lavanis are still sung at shows, just the music, without a traditional (theatre) play.

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