Play

Bilimaro is a unique character-a male playing a female role-who does not appear on stage but walks into the audience carrying a pooja thali (plate of offerings), asking for donations. This moment becomes a symbolic first step for many new actors, a test of stage courage and public engagement. One such actor is Shanti, who currently plays Bilimaro. However, he dreams of portraying the powerful role of the King. His father, a celebrated artist known for playing female characters, insists that Shanti should continue in female roles just as he did. Meanwhile, Shanti’s girlfriend encourages him to break this pattern and take up a negative role in the Dashavtar performance.This play-within-a-play is performed in the vibrant Dashavtar folk style, while the backstage moments are shown in realistic drama style. The lives of these folk artists are full of colour on stage, but off stage, they battle poverty and struggle.

Writer

Tejas writes and plays Dashavtar in Marathi for last six years. Hiswritings reflect a combinationof Dashavtar and Realistic Acting Style.

Director

Dr. Milind Inamdar is an alumnus of the National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi. hehas over 30 years of experience in theatre as an artiste and trainer. He regularly organizestheatre workshops,production-oriented training basic acting courses, and scene work presentations. His productions have been staged in many national theatre festivals. His acclaimed play Jis Lahore Nai Dekhya O Jamyai Nai, representedIndia at the Rafi Peer Theatre Festival in Lahore, Pakistan, in 2004. He has taught at various theatre instituitons like the University of Mumbai’s Academy of Theatre Arts; NSD at Delhi and other centres, Bharatendu Natya Akademi to name a few. Dr. Inamdar has received the Maharashtra State Government Awards for theatre in 1989, 2003, and 2017.

Director’s Note

I chose this play Bilimaro because before Dashavtar, I had directed the Tamasha folk form twice, presented at the National School of Drama for students, and in BRM. Searching for a play in the Dashavtar styleI came across Bilimaro in Marathi, which I adapted in Hindi.Live music and actors singing live create a powerful atmosphere on stage. I studied the Dashavtar style in depth and directed this play with actors from the NSD Varanasi Centre and many others. The Langar dance also fascinated me greatly.The story shifts between the Dashavtar performance and lives of the Dashavtar artists—their dreams, tragedies, love, and the relationships among them. Male actors performing female roles was challenging both for me as a director and for the actors themselves. Just as we all have dreams and aims in life, Dashavtaractors also have their own dreams. However, most of the time, their dreams do not come true, reminding us that, like them, we all must make sacrifices in life.

Group

Established in 2010, Srujan Foundation has produced several plays in Hindi and Marathi like Ajintha, Wanarayan, and Eka Dhotrachi Goshta, which have been showcased at prestigious national and international theatre festivals, and regularly organizes theatre workshops and classes.