By Vidyadhar Date*
Misunderstood Marx Dances to Life in Moving Marathi Stage
Mumbai: In an era where Karl Marx’s name is often cloaked in stern misjudgments, a radiant Marathi theatre production, Marx in Soho, unfurls his human heart with sparkling clarity. Staged last evening by Kolhapur’s Pratyay group at the Dadar Matunga Centre, here, this moving spectacle wove a tapestry of intellect and emotion, culminating in a gentle dance where Marx, his wife Jenny, daughter Eleanor, lifelong comrade Friedrich Engels, and even the anarchist Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin swayed in harmony. Far from the daunting intellectual caricature, this play reveals Marx as a warm soul who memorised Shakespeare, cherished his family, and dreamed of a society where all could thrive in unity.
Adapted by Sahil Kalloli from historian Howard Zinn’s One-man Play, this production breathes new life into the original by summoning Jenny, Engels, Eleanor, and Bakunin onto the stage, their lively exchanges adding flesh and fervour to Marx’s tale. Where earlier Marathi renditions, like Satchit Puranik’s solo performance, relied on narration to conjure these figures, Kalloli’s vision renders them vividly present, making the drama more watchable and poignant. Dr. Sharad Bhutadia, a masterful actor, embodies the aged Marx with striking authenticity, his bearing impeccable as he narrates a life marred by poverty yet ignited by conviction. Bhutadia, whose unforgettable portrayal of King Lear in Vinda Karandikar’s adaptation two decades ago at Karnataka Sangh hall once drew admiration from Dr. Shreeram Lagoo and Vijay Tendulkar, commands the stage with gravitas. Aditya Khebudkar brings vigour to the younger Marx, while Rasiya Padalkar infuses Jenny with tender resilience.
The play lays bare the ravages of capitalism through Marx’s personal struggles. Living in Soho’s squalor, he and Jenny endured extreme poverty, losing three of their five children to its merciless grip. Yet, Marx emerges as a loving father and husband, a steadfast friend to all who toil, even those like Bakunin with whom he sparred. He condemns those who twist his ideas into dogma, decrying comrades who “put their own against a wall and shot them” in communism’s name. Unwavering, he holds that capitalism is the root of human suffering, then and now, a truth the play drives home with piercing clarity. As Marx rhetorically asks, “Why do they feel it necessary to declare Marx dead over and over again?” The audience departs knowing why: his ideas endure, challenging the status quo.
This production, performed last evening and set to grace the Y.B. Chavan Centre near Mantralaya tonight, is a clarion call to reconsider Marx. Socialists leave reaffirmed in their mission, while sceptics find themselves drawn to give Marx a second or third look. The Pratyay group’s work is both stimulating and inspiring, a testament to theatre’s power to humanise and illuminate. Alongside yesterday’s ticket, audiences received a Marathi biography of Marx, originally penned in English by the Communist Party – Marxist veteran Ramdas Menon and translated by Shobha Thekedath, veteran leader of Mumbai University’s teachers’ union. Published by Janashakti Pratishthan under editor Vijay Patil, it was released during the event, enriching the experience.
Dr. Ashok Dhawale, CPM politburo member, opened the evening with a welcome speech, honouring Menon’s legacy and his wife Kitty, born into a Parsi family in Mumbai. Dhawale, who last month delivered the Karl Marx oration at Highgate Cemetery in London—where Marx lies buried, visited with affection by many—lent the event a poignant historical resonance. Marx in Soho is a triumph of empathy and intellect, correcting biases and revealing the man behind the manifesto. Strongly recommended, it beckons all to witness its transformative power this evening.
*Senior journalist
