Natarang: Tragedy of an Artist

Cast: Atul Kulkarni, Sonali Kulkarni, Vibhavari Deshpande, and Kishor Kadam

Director: Ravi Jadhav

Dialogues and Lyrics: Guru Thakur

Music: Ajay and Atul

Derived from Anand Yadav’s Marathi novel Natarang, the movie is about a common labourer falling prey to the glory of the Marathi folk art called Tamasha. The film majorly focuses on the tragedy of an artist who stands upright in spite of losing his own identity and family. Someone has rightly said, “The Show must go on.” The saying suits the film in every way. And Apart from that, the film also brings out the brutal realities and the gender politics in an ambitious artist’s life. He who dreams of playing the role of a king falls to the state of being a eunuch but returns back to the world of Art and theatre that never leaves him.

The story starts when Gunavantrao, watching a Laavni (Folk dance form of Maharashtra) and aspires to start his own theatre group. For starting the theatre group, he need a good dancer and then for a Mavshi or Nachya (male performing the female character). The scene in which dresses like a King in the rain leaves an immense tragic impact. Later, He willingly learns the feminine ways of walking and speaking with grace and those expressive ways typically followed by a woman. He is greatly admired as the feminine Guna (Nachya) by the audience but his family including his in laws rejects him saying this brings insult and shame for the family.

Nevertheless, Guna works as Nachya until one fine day he finds out that he has lost his male dignity. He tries to regain it by playing the role of a man but the society does not accept him as a man again. His theatre group also gets some good offers because of him being a feminine Guna. In the process dirty politics, are being played behind him and himself being abused by the some village authorities. He is also kept unaware of his father’s demise because of the sudden offer for the next show. The audience grieves with the character and sympathizes with him. Although, is criticized for his infidelity which cannot be justified.

The movie is blessed with good script, great actors, and simple but straightforward dialogues. The lead actor Atul Kulkarni is at his best and there are no words to describe him in that feminine look. Great Make Up! There is no single scene in the movie, which gives you a larger than life picture; may it be events, incidents or the characters. This provides the movie with a complete human touch. Though the movie is quite tragic, there is never a moment of boredom. The fabulous music of Ajay -Atul and the dazzling Laavnis shown in the movie balances it all. The well-written script, dialogues and fabulous music, and the brilliant actors together with a debut director Ravi Jadhav has been an excellent team.

Overall, the story revolves around Guna who is a simple labourer enamoured by the glory of folk art questioning the norms of society. He can be blamed for being an irresponsible father and a bad husband who is unable to meet the needs of his family. However, the bottom line is that he is admired for being a good actor and for possessing that undefeated spirit to start all over again in the same field with the same enthusiasm.