Caste Away (Interview with Rasika Agashe)

In my interaction with actor Rasika Agashe, I could find myself nodding every now and then, chuckling at the hypocrisy that we so deeply embrace. Agashe is coming to Pune, her hometown, with her Hindi play, Sat Bhashe Raidas to be staged at 16 th Rangmahotsav, the annual national theatre festival, hosted by Maharashtra Cultural Centre.

The play is based on Sant Rohidas/Raidas who questioned caste discrimination. The script of the play was written by Rajesh Kumar, from Lucknow, who submitted it as an entry to Sanhita Manch, a script writing competition organised by Agashe and her husband Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub's cultural venture, Being Association.

The question of identity

“Sat Bhashe Raidas is about bout asprushyata (untouchability) and Brahmanvaad (not to be mistaken with anti-Brahminism). Rohidas was Kabir's contemporary and he questioned the hierarchy of caste in 15 th century. We have been having shows of the play in towns and cities like Jamkhed, Nanded, Aurangabad and some of the people there have come and told us, 'For the first time, we have seen a play, which tells us our story'. That set me thinking. In all these years, atleast I haven't seen a play, which tells the story or teachings of Rohidas, who belonged to the charmakar (cobbler) community,” says Agashe.

Sat Bhashe Raidas has found some support by followers of Dr B Rambedkar and Charmakar organisations. But this too has led to some funny situations. Says the actor-director, “When we hold the shows in the hinterland of Maharashtra, Bihar, the organisers are keen to find out my identity on learning my surname. I tell them, 'Why bother about my identity? Rohidas has told us that we shouldn't believe in caste constructs. So why is it so important to find out in which caste I was born in?”

Born in Brahmin community, Agashe doesn't believe in the supremacy of caste hierarchy. Says she, “My surname Agashe helps me in being identified from other girls with the name Rasika, in this (film and television) industry. That's the reason, why I have retained it. One way to stop getting people discussing my caste is to drop my surname altogether. But at the same time, I think it's important for me to say, 'I was born in Brahmin caste. But I don't believe in casteism'.”

Its relevance

The National School of Drama graduate says that Sat Bhashe Raidas is being labelled as 'propaganda' and questions are asked, 'do we need plays like these?' Agashe retorts and says, “ I am not even slightest bit upset if you call it propaganda. I don't think there is nothing wrong in talking about the ills of our society. This play has been necessitated by the prevalent situation. We are responding to the events unfolding in the socio-political fabric of the society – to incidents like Khairlanji, to the killings of Dr Narendra Dabholkar, Dr Kalburgi and Govind Pansare.”

“When we had this show in Bihar, a police officer had come to watch the show. He was a Brahmin. After watching the play, he said that he would stop wearing janua. But in the same show, few people also walked out of the show. I think, it's time we accepted that we are deeply entrenched in caste system. We might no longer have separate tea sets in our homes for visitors belonging to different castes, but even the so-called liberal and modern families won't take kindly to their son or daughter saying that they are going to marry someone from BC or OBC caste. No one is going 'Wah! Chhan!',” she makes a point.

Agashe says that they have tried to throw light on these incorrect attitude that the society largely harbours. “We have chosen to speak about the philosophy of a sant, whose writing can empower the Bahujan Samaj. That he was an intellectual makes him all the more relevant – especially now, when we are gunning down our thinkers, intelligentsia, those who question the status quo,” she adds.

The drama

When Rajesh Kumar wrote Sat Bhashe Raidas, it was a period drama. But there were a few places left for improvisation, which Agashe utilised for making a comment on contemporary situation. “Dharmarakshak Muktivadi is the actor playing Rohidas. He is a shahir (activist-philosopher poet) from Satara and is connected to Ambedkari movement. I met him during one play and I thought that he is apt to play the role of Rohidas. I see Rohidas as a fiery youngman, who expresses his opinions ferarlessly. Sat Bhashe Raidas is a musical and the tunes are composed by Amod Bhatt. Bhatt sir

is a Sangeet Natak Akademi award winner and he has learnt theatre music from B V Karanth,” adds Agashe.