Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe: A Marathi Play that Exposes the Hypocrisy of Society

<h1>Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe: A Classic Marathi Play by Vijay Tendulkar</h1>

<p>Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe (Silence! The Court Is in Session) is a Marathi play written by Indian playwright Vijay Tendulkar in 1963 and first performed in 1967. It is a political and social satire on the hypocrisy of middle-class society, especially its treatment of women. The play is set as a play-within-a-play, where a group of teachers plan to stage a mock trial in a village. However, the trial soon turns into a real nightmare for one of the cast members, Miss Leela Benare, who is accused of infanticide and adultery.</p>

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<h2>The Inspiration Behind Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe</h2>

<p>The play was inspired by two sources: one was a 1956 novel, Die Panne (Traps) by Swiss playwright Friedrich Dürrenmatt, which also features a mock trial that goes wrong. The other was an incident that Tendulkar witnessed on a Mumbai local train, where he overheard the conversation of an amateur theatre group that was going to perform a mock trial at a suburb. Tendulkar was intrigued by the idea of using a mock trial as a theatrical device and decided to write his own play based on it.</p>

<h3>The Plot and Themes of Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe</h3>

<p>The play begins with a group of teachers arriving at a village to stage a play. They are joined by a local stagehand, Samant, who is asked to replace a missing cast member, Professor Damle. The teachers decide to rehearse their play, which is a mock trial, to make Samant familiar with the court procedures. They choose Miss Benare, a lively and outspoken woman, as the defendant and charge her with infanticide. The trial starts as a harmless game, but soon becomes serious and personal as the teachers reveal their hidden motives and prejudices. They accuse Miss Benare of having an illicit affair with Professor Damle, who is the father of her unborn child. They also bring up her past relationships and question her character and morality. Miss Benare tries to defend herself, but is overwhelmed by the accusations and the pressure. She finally breaks down and confesses that she was indeed pregnant with Professor Damle's child, but he abandoned her and refused to marry her. She also reveals that she had an abortion to save her reputation and career.</p>

<p>The play explores the themes of gender discrimination, social hypocrisy, moral judgment, and power dynamics. It exposes the double standards and patriarchal values of the middle-class society that oppress and exploit women. It also shows how the legal system can be manipulated and misused by those who have authority and influence. The play challenges the audience to question their own assumptions and prejudices about women's rights and choices.</p>

<h4>The Reception and Adaptations of Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe</h4>

<p>The play received critical acclaim and national recognition for its playwright, Vijay Tendulkar, who won the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay Award for drama in 1970 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for playwriting in 1970. The play has since been translated into 16 languages in India and abroad. The BBC showed its English version, filmed by Satyadev Dubey.</p>

<p>The play was also adapted into several films in different languages. The most notable one was the Marathi film directed by Satyadev Dubey in 1971, which starred Arvind Deshpande, Sulbha Deshpande, Amrish Puri, and Amol Palekar. The film marked the debut of Govind Nihalani as a cinematographer and Vijay Tendulkar as a screenplay writer. The film is considered one of India's finest films and started the New Cinema movement in Marathi cinema.</p>

<p>Another adaptation was the Hindi film directed by Ritesh Menon in 2017, titled Khamosh Adalat Jaari Hai (Silence! The Court Is in Session), which was also the name of the Hindi translation of the play by Om Shivpuri. The film starred Nandita Das, Saurabh Shukla, Abhay Mahajan, and Kishor Kadam.</p>

<h5>Conclusion</h5>

<p>Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe is a classic Marathi play that has influenced many generations of theatre lovers and filmmakers. It is a powerful drama that exposes the social evils and injustices that women face in a patriarchal society. It is also a brilliant example of how theatre can be used as a medium of expression and protest.</p>

<h6>The Impact and Legacy of Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe</h6>

<p>Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe is a landmark play in the history of Indian theatre and literature. It is widely regarded as one of the best works of Vijay Tendulkar, who is considered as one of the most influential and prolific playwrights of India. The play has been praised for its bold and realistic portrayal of the issues and conflicts faced by women in a patriarchal society. It has also been appreciated for its innovative use of theatre as a form of social commentary and critique. The play has inspired many other playwrights and filmmakers to explore similar themes and topics in their works.</p>

<p>Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe is also a significant play in the context of Marathi theatre and cinema. It is one of the first plays that introduced the concept of experimental theatre in Marathi, breaking away from the conventional forms and styles. It also paved the way for the New Cinema movement in Marathi cinema, which aimed to create realistic and meaningful films that reflected the social realities and concerns of the people. The play has been performed and adapted by various theatre groups and filmmakers over the years, keeping it alive and relevant for the contemporary audiences.</p>

<h7>Conclusion</h7>

<p>Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe is a classic Marathi play that has influenced many generations of theatre lovers and filmmakers. It is a powerful drama that exposes the social evils and injustices that women face in a patriarchal society. It is also a brilliant example of how theatre can be used as a medium of expression and protest. If you are interested in reading or watching this play, you can download shantatacourtchaluaahepdf17 from various online sources or watch it on YouTube or other streaming platforms.</p> ca3e7ad8fd