Begum Barve

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In this landmark Marathi play, Satish Alekar weaves a complex narrative with just four characters—Begum Barve, a small-time female impersonator who has spent his life playing bit parts in the professional Marathi theatre of the early twentieth century; his exploitative employer, Shyamrao, and two clerks, Jawdekar and Bawdekar. Trapped between sensuous longings and the sordid reality of their humdrum existence, all the characters seek redemption in make-believe. Layers of space and time interweave and overlap in this haunting play in which dreams and fantasies inevitably turn into nightmares.

This edition of Begum Barve supplements the text of the play with a critical essay and a note on the songs by scholar Urmila Bhirdikar; an interview with the playwright by Shubhada Shelke; and a note by Amal Allana, who directed the play in Hindi.