Balgandharva Movie 2011 Songs 11
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The film is directed by Ravi Jadhav,[3] whose debutant film Natarang won critical acclaims as well as good box office report. The film is produced by Nitin Chandrakant Desai, the National Award-winning Art Director, under the banner of Iconic Chandrakant Productions Pvt. Ltd.[4][5]
The film is a biopic on life on Balgandharva showing his struggles through poverty to riches and fame. Narayan Rajhans while in a public performance of his singing at Pune receives his new honour and name "Balgandharva". On advice of Shahu Maharaj, the king of Kolhapur state, he starts his formal training and joins Kirloskar Natak Mandali. Narayan wins claps of his audiences and becomes the key performer of all Sangeet Nataks. To please his insistent mother Narayan marries Laxmi. On the opening day (12 March 1911) of his play Sangeet Manapamaan, his infant daughter dies. But he goes ahead with the performance and enthralls the audience. Due to disputes in the company Narayan decides to start his own company named Gandharva Natak Mandali. Fully devoting himself towards his passion of drama and singing he overlooks his family. Giving audience's satisfaction key priority he starts spending money without any considerations. He loses many of his friends because of such attitude. He blindly believes in Balasaheb Pandit, who keeps his company's accounts. Narayan's carefree nature results in his bankruptcy. Meeting Gohar Bai, who is his fan, he falls in love with her and leaves his wife and family. With his old age, he also loses the charm of holding audiences. When cinema is introduced, theatre fails to grab audiences. Balgandharva also signs contract with V. Shantaram's Prabhat Film Company to act in films. Money in films would also reduce his economic burden. But he never likes the methodologies of film production and abandons it after only one film where he plays the lead role of Sant Eknath. Looking at his poverty many Royalties pay him honorary amounts in order to repay his debts. But he in turn donates this money to other charities.
The mahurat shot of the film was done at the Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir, Pune; the place whose foundation stone was laid by Balgandharva. As the story is based in early 20th century Maharashtra, renowned historian Babasaheb Purandare, famous theatre actress of the yesteryears, Jaimala Shiledar along with her daughter Kirti Shiledar and historian Dr. Jaisingrao Pawar helped in consulting for the production. Multiple National Award winning costume designer Neeta Lulla designed the costumes and jewellery of the characters to recreate the era.
The film was screened at many film festivals around the globe, starting from the New York Indian Film Festival on 8 May 2011.[7] Subsequently, it was also screened at the Cannes and Venice festivals.[8]
Kaushal Inamdar is the music director of the film. To recreate the magic of Gandharva Music, the team invited Christian Howes, a Jazz Violinist to conduct the strings for "Nahi Me Bolat Natha", a legendary song of Bal Gandharva.[10] The entire strings section was recorded by remote by Kaushal Inamdar from US and Spain. This is the first time the Marathi cinema has used a western artiste. Anand Bhate, also known as "Anand Gandharva", a Hindustani classical vocalist from Kirana Gharana has lent his voice for all songs for the lead character.[11] Swanand Kirkire, the popular Hindi film lyricist known for his songs of Parineeta, 3 Idiots and Lage Raho Munna Bhai has penned lyrics of "Parvardigar", a qawwali and "Aaj Mhare Ghar Pavana", a bhajan.[12]
Bal Gandharva got his name after a singing performance in Pune. Lokmanya Tilak, a social reformer and a freedom fighter of the Indian independence movement was in the audience, and after the performance, reportedly patted Rajhans on the back and said that Narayan was a "Bal Gandharva" (lit. Young Gandharva).[3]
Narayan Shripad Rajhans was born into a Deshastha Brahmin family to Shripad Rajhans and his wife Annapurnabai Rajhans.[4] He was born in the Nagthane village of Palus taluka of Sangli district in what is now the state of Maharashtra.
Bal Gandharva married twice. At a very young age, he was married to Lakshmibai, a lady from his own Deshastha Brahmin community and hailing from a respectable family with similar background, in a match arranged by their parents in the usual Indian tradition. The marriage, which was entirely harmonious and conventional, lasted until the death of Lakshmibai in 1940, after more than thirty-five years of marriage. Eleven years later, in 1951, Bal Gandharva married Gauharbai Karnataki (perhaps better known simply as Gohar Bai, and not to be confused with Gauhar Jaan Indian dancer from Kolkata), sister of the famous singer-actress Amirbai Karnataki. Gauharbai hailed from a family full of singers and dancers, and was a Muslim. She had made a career for herself as a stage actress with help of singing skills, and had worked with Narayanraao in theatrical productions, which is how they had fallen in love with each other. The marriage of a woman of her background and religion with a Brahmin gentleman was deeply unacceptable in society. Gauharbai was never received into polite society or acknowledged by any member of Narayanrao's family. The marriage remained childless, and Goharbai died in the year of 1964, three years before when Bal Gandharva died.[5]
Narayan Rajhans was born into an ordinary family. He started his singing career at a very young age singing bhajans. Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur noticed his talent and was important in getting young Narayanrao's theatre career off the ground. Shahu Maharaj helped him get treatment for his hearing problems at Miraj Hospital. Shahu Maharaj also introduced him to Kirloskar Mandali, the premier Marathi Musical theatre company of that era.[6]
Bal Gandharva revived his drama company in 1937. With Narayanrao increasingly ill at ease in female roles owing to his advancing years, the company looked for an actress to play female roles and found Gohar Karnataki in April 1938. Bal Gandharva soon formed an intimate relationship with Gohar Karnataki, also known as Gauhar Bai, that scandalized traditional Maharashtrian society at that time.[9] His brother Bapurao Rajhans left the company to protest against Gohar's entry in Gandharva Sangeet Mandali and Bal Gandharva's life, when it became clear that Gohar would have a major say in the company's stewardship.[12]
Bal Gandharva acted in 27 classic Marathi plays and played a big part in making Sangeet Natak (musicals) and Natya Sangeet (the music in those musicals) popular among common masses. He was a disciple of Bhaskarbuwa Bakhale.[13] Bakhale scored music for his drama Swayamwar. Govindrao Tembe scored music for Manapman.[14] In later years, Bal Gandharva's composer of choice was Master Krishnarao (Krishnarao Phulambrikar).[15]
The songs rendered by him are regarded as classics of Marathi Natya Sangeet and his singing style is greatly appreciated by Marathi critics and audiences.[16] The Marathi stage was facing difficult times after the death of Bhaurao Kolhatkar in 1901. Bal Gandharva revived it. His famous contemporaries include Keshavrao Bhosale (known as "Sangeet-Surya") and Deenanath Mangeshkar.[17]
I had watched this film in the iconic Plaza theatre of Dadar in Mumbai. Yes, the same one which was ravaged by 1991 Bomb blasts, and which was rejuvenated and continues to screen Marathi and Hindi movies at cheap rates. I had watched it with my mother and sister, with considerable excitement. When Balgandharva (Subodh Bhave) made his entry on the screen, there was a spontaneous applause. This was my first experience of people actually clapping in a movie theatre at the entry of a hero. My mother, however, was not surprised. According to her, this was the natural reaction of the audience to his entry - the entry of the real Balgandharva - on stage, during the four decades that he performed.
That ecstatic reaction lasted only for a few moments though. The rest of the film had us too mesmerized to react by clapping. I ended up watching this film three times in the theatre, in the very same month, after that.
I wish I could say that it is my understanding or love for Hindustani Classical Music that has made me come back to this movie so many times. Truth be told, I am woefully ignorant of the raagas and the thumris and the bandish - these terms are lost on me, even though I have been lost several times in them. Neither have I any legacy of stage art and drama from my family. I was not able to justify my passion for this film in my mind for a long time.
Years later, in the lockdown, I watched the film again on Amazon Prime (for nostalgia value, as someone had told me that watching/reading your favourite movie/book helps make you happy). It was then that I discovered some truth behind what had drawn me towards this ONE film; that it is not the extraordinary talent of this extraordinary artist which had captivated my senses as much as his personal tragedy that had moved me.
These were the days of all male cast dramas, and the owners of these musical companies were always on a lookout for young, good looking men with a sweet voice. These young men were then groomed by these companies, not just to sing but to also perform on stage while singing. The young, graceful and gifted Narayan was also groomed by his mentor Deval Master to enact the roles of the women with uncanny feminine expression.
When Narayanrao saw his wife for the first time in the marriage - as the antar path (sacred sheet that separated bride and groom) was lowered - he recoiled for the briefest of the second. Maybe he had expected a fairer, prettier bride. Just like the other things of beauty that he sought and cherished in the world of his Sangeet Natak. Another scene in the movie - far more poignant and which reflected his mindset towards his Art - was when he continued to perform even after hearing the news of his daughter's death. Not because he was cold and indifferent to her death - he was actually devastated. But he simply could not let go of his self imposed duty of serving and entertaining the connoisseurs(rasik maay baap) who had come to attend the play.
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