Drama journey on Maharashtra Freedom Fighters

In our township, every club and group arranged many programs. We were always involved in their activities. We always helped them and took a lot of benefits, like interviews with big personalities and infrastructure. We got an easy platform for our programs. We never missed opportunities like the Ganpati festival, annual day functions, and various competitions organized by various groups in our township. Everywhere, the winners were mostly from our group members. In the year 2000, one group, Sahyadri Mitra Mandal, arranged a program for their annual day. I was in the organizing committee, so I planned for it. I wrote a play on the role of Maharashtra freedom fighters from 1857 to 1947. There were many characters, songs, and scenes on every freedom fighter. After completing the rough work, Rajesh Sawant wrote the whole play in his fine handwriting. Aaba Pawar gave a fine touch to the written matter. Step-by-step, each character was given roles, and particular songs and scenes were decided. Lata Mangeshkar's famous song 'Hay shivshambhu raja' was decided.Role of shivaji was given to Padma chavan .Then another characters Rani Laxmibai ,Tatya tope freedom fighters in 1857 war against East India. Priyanka More and Biranje selected for role.Than for role of Tilak, Aambedkar,Nana Patil,Aagarkar ,Jyotiba Phule members decided for that role were Abhimanyu Jadhav, Aaditya Kulkarni,Mihir Naik, Vikrant Mote.

Around 140 students were part of our group, and no adults participated in the program. Only the anchoring role was assigned to Narendra Sabde. Although many adults in the township possessed skills in anchoring, acting, and writing, we decided to give opportunities exclusively to children. Despite my lack of experience in stage activities, Aaba Pawar always supported me, boosting my confidence. I preferred students who showed interest in our program. Some parents doubted the success of our show because I declined help from certain experts, but we focused on involving more and more students.

When the script was ready, I held a meeting with 10th-grade students, selecting 13 members of Muktangan for each part of the program. We named the program 'The Role of Maharashtra in the Freedom Fighting Movement'. In the meeting, we planned to divide the drama into different parts according to our area types A type, new A type, B type, and C type. Each type had a program director responsible for all aspects. Some ladies' groups also assisted our leaders. Sujit and I started overseeing the practices from A type to C type, which lasted from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. for fifteen days. However, due to the combination of various programs, common practice was necessary but practically challenging. With 140 students, we decided to conduct a trial program one day before the main event.

Several technical problems arose, especially for scenes like the Mahad Satyagraha and the 1857 war. We needed specific costumes and props for characters like Shivaji Maharaj, Rani Laxmibai, Tilak, and Fule. Aaba arranged funds, and I went to Roha to procure all costumes and materials, with Nandu Jadhav assisting me. During rehearsals, some recordings were made, resulting in two cassettes. Despite challenges, our team persevered, and the final performance was a great success.

On the day of the function, all participants reported at 6:00 p.m., and we managed them according to the scenes. Anchoring by Narendra was crucial in maintaining the program's flow. The scenes, including Shivaji Maharaj's coronation and the 1857 war against the East India Company, were particularly impressive, eliciting applause from the audience. Each scene, from Lokmanya Tilak's speeches to the depiction of festivals, was meticulously executed. The program concluded with a poignant portrayal of India's independence in 1947, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.

After the program, many attendees came forward to appreciate our team's efforts. Even those who initially doubted the show's success praised our performance. I attributed the success to teamwork, acknowledging everyone's contributions. The entire journey, from planning to execution, spanning two to three months, was truly memorable