Jaishankar Sundari.

- Window Seat-Udayan Thakkar

- Chandrakant Topiwala rightly notes that the autobiographer not only reports the experience but also evaluates the past based on the current point of view.

- 'When Jaishankar dressed as a woman, I felt as if a man was turning into a beauty ... I saw a beautiful teenager coming out of me ... from whose thick, supportive limbs youth emanates ..

On the occasion of the bicentennial year of the Gujarati autobiography, we enjoy the fragrance of Jaishankar Sundari's autobiography 'Thodam Ansu: Thodam Phool' which was published in 19th. It was a time when men had to play female characters! In 1901, at the age of twelve, a boy named Jaishankar Bhojak played a female character in 'Saubhagyasundari' with such erotic skills that he became known as 'Jaishankar Sundari' overnight.

Jaishankar, who has read only two books, goes on speaking and Dr. Sombhai Patel and Dr. This autobiography is created as Dinkar Bhojak writes. Born in 19, Jaishankar has been fascinated by theater since childhood. He says: 'Gujarati theater had started before I was born. The theater was established by educated Parsis of Mumbai. These amateur artists took the initiative to perform plays in Parsi Gujarati. Seeing him, even fond Hindus went out to perform plays in pure Gujarati. '

The Parsi Gujarati Theater, which started in the 19th century, has been brightened by some artists like Adi Marzban of Mumbai in the twentieth century and Yazdi Karanjia of Surat in the twenty first century. In the autobiography 'Bandh Gathariyan', Chandravadan Mehta quotes this dialogue of Parsi Fars directed by Jahangir Wadia: (Buzurg Pidar is murdered, the heroine and her lover appear.

Heroine: Alas, stabbed directly in the chest.

Lover: Don't give notice in advance! When the move, a coty.

Heroine: Avon passed away and do you know what to do? ... I will be unconscious for a couple of minutes.

Premi: Su Besudh Thawani B Practice Padich?

Jaishankar further writes in the memoir:

'Many mornings of childhood were spent listening to my grandfather's melodious music. When Dada sang Anandaghanji's verses, the house would be filled with an atmosphere of devotion. '

This musical sacrament benefited Jaishankar throughout his career. The song 'Koi Dudh Leo Dilrangi' sung and performed by him in the play 'Rambha Dudhwali' became so popular that some mills printed his words on the edges of sari and dhoti. In some plays, Jaishankar also sang seven or eight songs. In childhood, father used to listen to Nalakhyan singing. Jaishankar

Writes:

Valvale in Vaidarbhi forest,

Deadly dark night,

A lot of people are afraid of Bhamini alone ...

Hearing this bitterness I lost my patience ... I started screaming and crying ... My father hit me on the chest with superstition and panic .. My mama, I thought something must have bitten me and started looking for the lamp upside down ... with the idea of ​​poisonous sting Bana's hoshkosh flew away ... At last my doomo sat and I calmed down. Then I said, "Nothing has happened. I was crying because Nal Raja left Damayanti."

Chandrakant Topiwala rightly notes that the autobiographer not only reports the experience but also evaluates the past based on current perspectives. See how Jaishankar values ​​the above event:

'The typical postures of my father's narrative time, the eloquent song, the precise style of presenting the occasion in an identical way, all these must have affected me ... The tears in my father's eyes at the time of the song must have made me emotional. It seems to me today that I have the strength to make a useful and necessary presentation of the nut. '

How did Bhojak become beautiful? Let us understand by example. In one play, Rambha comes to her husband Rajaratan in the guise of a milkmaid. At first he attracts it, then he rejects it. As the amount of attraction increases with rejection, so does the amount of rejection. Thus Jaishankar emerges as a 'thinking actor'. Since 'Saubhagyasundari' is derived from the play 'Othello', he studied the character of Desdemona. Since he had to play the role of Kumudsundari, all four parts of 'Saraswati Chandra' were read seven times! In the play 'Jugal Jugari', she was to play the role of Lalita, whose husband seduces her and seizes the child's property. Tears welled up in his eyes during his verbal performance. Bapulal Naik assured that such an effect would be felt on the audience.

Jaishankar was introduced to the future daughter-in-law of Seth Babubhai of 'Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali' where he was working. Jaishankar politely asked, 'Where do you sew polka? Do you tie a bow on the arm? ' Wahoo answered with a smile. Jaishankar continued to observe. After the first rehearsal of the play, Babubhai's wife said, 'The same laughter, the same shame, the same decoration! I was confused as to where our roses came from on stage. ' (We are reminded of Stanislavsky's method of acting.) Jaishankar saw the victory of theater in this. Many sisters came to her to learn how to wear a sari. Jaishankar has come to understand that the display of feminine values ​​is popular. He writes:

'When Jaishankar dressed as a woman, I felt as if a man was turning into a beautiful girl ... I saw a beautiful young man falling out of me ... whose youthful, emaciated limbs are dripping with youth .. The mirror reflecting the distance was saying: This is not Jaishankar. Gujarat is proud of shame. '

Like the play, there are new scenes in this autobiography. The 'Noise' chapter should. It had been two months since Natak Mandali came to Karachi. In this, the congregation got into trouble with a Vadhumal. As soon as the third act of the play 'Dage Hasrat' started, four or five men broke into the audience and started making noise. The guards of the congregation swordsmen Sherumiyan and Lathibaj Vikaji drove out the rioters. The gangsters started throwing stones and soda bottles. Then Vikhaji's sticks and gangsters' tantia! Some thugs rushed to the stage. Bapulal Naik handed over Nato's sword, spear, dagger to Nato and started firing his revolver. There, a European criminal came with a detachment and the third issue was played in color.

The tradition of chaos has continued. Niranjan Mehta notes that the comedy 'Kahevu Kone' starring Jayant Vyas was a super hit in the 19th Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Inter Collegiate singles competition, but the judges did not select him for the final round. Some shattered, stubborn men threatened that if even one of the five plays selected for the final round was performed, we would break the bones of the actors! On the day of the game, the college students brought Rustam-e-Hind Darasingh as a bodyguard: This is Batamji!

After the commotion in Karachi, a rumor spread that Sundari had been abducted by a Pathan. What could be a bigger tribute to Jaishankar's performance?