The Lone Royal Swan…
The Life of Bal Gandharva
Manjusha Amdekar
Translated from the original Marathi (“तो राजहंस एक…”)
9. Heartrending Turn of Events
Decline Sets in Again on the Gandharva Mandali
Toward the end of September 1937, the Gandharva Mandali’s stay shifted away from Mumbai, and an unexpected, ill-fated event occurred. Because of Bal Gandharva’s advancing years, he was in dire need of a new company of players. During the stay at Nagar, Hari Deshpande left the company. Following close behind him, Londhe, Walawalkar, Bhandarkar, and Abhyankar too departed. After everyone left one by one, only two things remained behind — one, Bal Gandharva himself, and the other, the signboard of his Gandharva Mandali. Then, taking along actors of very poor calibre, Bal Gandharva staged a performance of Swayamvar at Yeola. People did indeed throng to it with great expectations, but everyone was let down. By now, such a decline had set in upon the Gandharva Mandali that, after the company had been refounded, this turned out to be the first and the last performance to draw a crowd. The same Gandharva Mandali where once a line of actors used to stand waiting, where people used to scramble for entry, now not a single artiste remained.
At last, an actor named Krishnarao Chonkar joined the company. He was handsome and a melodious singer too. Even so, the audience’s response was cold. The opinion among Bal Gandharva’s well-wishers was that, from here on, Bal Gandharva should not see the end of the theatrical profession. Bal Gandharva was soon to receive the sum from his Rs-10,000-insurance. When he had gone to Mumbai to complete the documentation process for this, he went to the home of Dr. Vamanrao Satpute in Girgaon. With him were also Krishnarao Chonkar, Durgaram Khedekar, and Bapurao Olkar.
At this meeting, all expressed the view that there was now no point in keeping the theatrical institution running. Bal Gandharva accepted this. But the question of how to repay the debt still remained. And, more pressing than even that, was the far harder question of how, going forward, he was to provide for himself and his family. Including the sums that Lalji of Karachi had given from time to time, in all, a debt of about Rs 80,000 remained outstanding. Clearing this debt was impossible in the current circumstances. And for how long would the moneylenders stay quiet? Everyone felt there could be no greater humiliation than for them to go to court, call for the Gandharva Mandali’s belongings to be auctioned, and recover their dues that way. Against this, the only solution that seemed to remain was to shut down the company and file for insolvency. But Bal Gandharva could not bring himself to accept it. He said, “Dear God, not insolvency!”
Everyone tried in every possible way to make him understand: “Insolvency will at least put an end to the question of the debt. Besides, the plays will not run any longer now. The responsibility for your wife, for Padya, and for your mother rests on you, and you will have to discharge it. Even if you simply give concerts of songs or bhajans, your question of livelihood will be solved. People who hold you in devotion are inviting you. The seth from Karachi is inviting you. Baburao Deshmukh from Nagpur is inviting you. If you go and stay there, at least the coming years of retirement may pass in comfort. These people will keep arranging concerts of songs and bhajans for you, and the money question too will be solved. There are people eager to learn music from you which can also serve as a means of income.”
Bal Gandharva listened to this. He understood it, but he could not apply it. His mind was not ready to accept insolvency. His well-wishers went on trying to reason with him further: “Narayanrao, for so many years you were never sent anywhere without someone for company. Now, at this age, it does not look right that you are rushing about all alone, hither and thither. From here on, even if you do decide to keep the plays going, instead of success you will only fall into greater difficulty. If you accept the path we are suggesting, at least your honor will be kept covered. The disgrace of your devotion to art will not be paraded before society.”
When people saw that, despite their reasoning with him each in his own way, Bal Gandharva said nothing, they grew restless. It was getting on towards eight o’clock at night. At last, Bal Gandharva said, “All of you are speaking only for my good. Let me talk it over with Bapurao and decide what is to be done.”
Slippery Path : Gauharbai
Then, pausing for a moment, he said to Bapurao Olkar, “Bapu, we must set out now. We must go to Gauharbai’s place.” Hearing this, everyone was stunned. They all asked, “To Gauharbai’s? Right now, at this hour? What for?”
At this, pointing towards Chonkar, Bal Gandharva said, “It was through his recommendation that this dear lady came to us. We must thank her.”
Although this was entirely unexpected, no one found anything amiss in going to call on Gauharbai merely as a matter of courtesy. But that the motorcar carrying him to her was carrying Bal Gandharva towards his own ruin — of this no one had the slightest inkling, not even Bal Gandharva himself!
That day was December 30th 1937. This black day brought a tremendous upheaval into Bal Gandharva’s life. Over a man who had lived his whole life like a king, that woman wielded absolute power for fully twenty-six years. So radical was the change in his life that one might wonder whether the Bal Gandharva of before 1938 and the Bal Gandharva of the years after that were two different people. The remaining span of his life was beyond anything anyone would believe — beyond even astonishment. The bond between him and Gauharbai fit none of the ordinary yardsticks of morality or immorality. To some it seemed like sorcery; to some it seemed a man losing his mental balance… while to some it seemed an injustice — an injustice to himself, to his connoisseurs, to his family… it was all utterly unfathomable. Beyond imagination.
Who Exactly Was Gauhar ?
Since Bal Gandharva had drawn Gauharbai close, many felt she must surely be an artist of his own calibre. It is worth giving a little thought, then, to just what her worth was and what it was not. Long ago in Calcutta, there was a singer named Gauharjan, exceedingly beautiful and sweet of voice. This was not she. Likewise, the one known in the film world as the “Empress of Cinema” — this was not she either. That Gauhar was a partner in the Ranjit Film Company. Both these Gauhars are different women.
The Gauhar who entered Bal Gandharva’s life was known as “Gauhar Karnataki.” Earlier she had lived in Bijapur. The renowned actor Shankar, alias Nana Chapekar, had brought her to Mumbai. It was with his help that she had settled in Mumbai. After Keshavrao Bhosle passed away, Nana Chapekar and Bapurao Pendharkar took over the Lalitkala Natya Company and built it up. Later, in 1924, when that company was dissolved, Nana took over the running of the Kirloskar Mandali. During the company’s stay at Bijapur he became acquainted with Gauharbai. Gauhar and her sister Amirbai Karnataki spoke good Kannada and Hindi. They could understand Marathi, but could not speak it. Both sisters had sweet voices and sang very beautifully. Gauhar could also play the tabla and the harmonium. Nana made every effort to teach her Marathi and to launch her as a heroine in his plays. But it did not succeed.
In 1932, Gauhar suddenly felt that her art would be better appreciated in Maharashtra than in Karnataka. So, without informing Chapekar at all, she came abruptly to Mumbai and dumped all her belongings right in Chapekar’s own household. She would put on a record, listen to Bal Gandharva’s singing, and try to sing like him. Chapekar got her a few programs on All India Radio. By much manoeuvring and contriving, he also had 2 of her records published. Her record of the Kannada song “Na Pelube” had become quite popular. From 1933 to 1937, her cinema phase was also under way. First, she took a job at Sharada Cinetone at a salary of Rs 300 a month. After that, she also worked for Bhavnani Production and Indian Liberty. With the money she earned from this, she could indeed maintain herself. But she never gained the kind of popularity one might call real. She used to go and watch the Gandharva Mandali’s plays — but as an ordinary member of the audience.
Gauhar and Chapekar would try their very utmost to get a meeting with Bal Gandharva. But it did not succeed. Bal Gandharva felt no particular fondness for her. Indeed, once he had even dismissed her with harsh words and driven her away — so Acharya Atre recorded in the Bal Gandharva special issue of his daily Maratha. Until 1932, Gauhar and Chapekar lived together. But later they ceased to get on with each other. Then she went off to live with her sister Amirbai. Mama Mitkar of Pune was on friendly terms with Bal Gandharva. It was through Chapekar that Mitkar and Gauhar had become acquainted. Gauhar was still trying to get acquainted with Bal Gandharva. By her contriving, she had even arranged an informal music program at the home of Bal Gandharva’s mother. The object was that on this pretext, she might at least become acquainted with Bal Gandharva. Before a very small gathering of people, she sang several songs, among them she also sang the bhajan from Kanhopatra. Everyone had liked it.
This time, however, Bal Gandharva was not there to hear her singing at all. Against this background, the very fact that Bal Gandharva went to meet her was astonishing to his circle of friends. Even so, no one had imagined that anything special would happen at that meeting. Indeed, nothing of the sort was in Bal Gandharva’s own mind either. When Bal Gandharva went to Gauhar’s place, his mind was in a turmoil of thoughts about what to do next. As soon as they reached the spot, the driver stopped the car and opened the door. Bal Gandharva, who till now had maintained his dignity and honour, got down and began to climb the stairs to Gauharbai’s house.
Composure Lost
Standing on the balcony of a building called “Anna Quetto,” Gauhar had been watching for him for the past hour or so. When, after a good while, Bal Gandharva still did not arrive, she had grown disheartened. But the moment the car stood at the door, she did not know what to do with herself. The instant Bal Gandharva stepped inside, she scattered rose petals over his feet and bowed her head reverently at his feet. Bal Gandharva, who had come resolved to say a few words, offer his thanks and leave, was thoroughly bewildered. He had expected nothing of this kind at all.
She had had a fine brocade sari made up especially in Bal Gandharva’s own style, and had even draped it in his manner. Knowing that Bal Gandharva did not chew paan, she had not eaten any paan that day either. The place where she lived was a palatial flat. It was furnished with refined and abundant good taste. The fragrance of costly perfumes wafted through it. In an earthen vessel agarwood was burning. The atmosphere was thoroughly intoxicating. A feeling of guilt arose in Bal Gandharva’s mind — that till now, taking her for an ordinary singer, he had needlessly insulted her. But he did not know that this flat was not Gauharbai’s. The flat belonged to a man named Himalayawala. He lived there together with Amirbai. And it was as her sister that Gauhar was at present living there.
Seeing that opulent flat, the despondency in Bal Gandharva’s mind fled away. Inside, the finest of dishes were being prepared. Their fragrance too wafted out and reached him. He grew somewhat cheerful. Gauhar spoke to him with the utmost deference. She said, “I am not worthy to sing before you, but what other service may I render?” — and saying so she took up the harmonium that lay nearby. The tabla player was right there. At this moment she was the host. So as not to wound her feelings, Bal Gandharva said, “As you wish.”
Taking his leave to begin, she sang two bhajans from Kanhopatra for him. Those abhangs Chapekar himself had had her rehearse thoroughly in Bal Gandharva’s own style. As a result, she rendered certain ornamental flourishes (harkati) so exquisitely that Bal Gandharva was greatly pleased. In truth, she was no extraordinary beauty at all. But the intoxicating atmosphere of the place, the opulent flat, the joy on her face, and the bhajans of Bal Gandharva’s that she had sung — all of this, most likely, gave rise in Bal Gandharva to a feeling of affection towards her.
After a little while, when he rose to leave, Gauhar insistently kept him back for a meal. In the conversation that took place then, she also said that she was ready to work in the Gandharva Company. Bal Gandharva was astonished, for no one had ever imagined that any such thing could come to pass. Gauhar had let it fall casually, and Bal Gandharva too, saying “What the Lord wills will be,” had politely accepted the idea.
After a little while, Bal Gandharva and his friends set out to leave. Just as they had gone down and were about to get into the car, Gauhar called Bal Gandharva back up once more. Fifteen minutes later he came down. But what happened in that little while, who knows… yet it is true that the ship of Bal Gandharva, who for 50 years had let no stain be laid upon his character, now began to flounder.
Gauhar’s Entry into the Company
Subsequently, on December 31st 1937, Bal Gandharva decided to go to Gauharbai in Mumbai alone, by himself. After that, such things began to happen again and again. Little by little all his acquaintances began to realize what was going on. Bal Gandharva had fallen completely under Gauhar’s spell. Gauhar, who possessed no eminence at all as a singer and no reputation, had begun to carry on with the airs of one who was going to be the saviour of the Gandharva Mandali. Ordinarily, Bal Gandharva would not oppose the word of his mother and his wife. But in matters of business, these two never interfered at all. Bal Gandharva paid no attention to any practical matter. His was a spendthrift by nature. As a result, he never paid any attention to how much money came in, how much went out, and how much debt was piling up.
Everyone was opposed to Gauhar joining the company. But she made her entry. Bal Gandharva told them all flatly, “Whether you like it or not, I have a business to run, and for that it is necessary to take Gauhar along.” Saying this, he took her and went off to Mumbai. In the Gauhar period of Bal Gandharva’s life, Ramchandra Vasudev Bakre was close to Bal Gandharva as well as a well-wisher. In an article that Bakre wrote about Bal Gandharva and Gauhar, he mentions that Gauhar said: “Although I am worthy of playing heroine’s roles in the Gandharva Mandali, people oppose me simply because I am a Muslim.”
In reality, Gauhar’s caliber was not sufficient to play any of the female roles that Bal Gandharva had played until then. Her Marathi speech in a drawn-out Karnataki accent grated as well. She had no great beauty of form. She had little skill in acting, and she certainly did not have the singing caliber of Bal Gandharva either. Even though she did not possess the caliber for playing the roles, she and Bal Gandharva nonetheless believed she could work for the Gandharva Mandali. In the July 1983 issue of Shabdashri, Sharadchandra Vishnu Gokhale wrote openly: “I never saw another woman so brazen as Gauhar. Even to look upon her was so unsightly and inauspicious… That woman brought shame upon the king of actors. She taught him to put on a foolish display of servility and wretchedness. What a face and figure she had, and what a way of speaking…”
In everyone’s eyes, Gauharbai was an uncultured woman. That the reins of the Gandharva Natak Mandali should pass into her hands was nothing short of a misfortune. The very thought that they would now have to obey Gauharbai’s orders had angered the other people in the company too. As for Bal Gandharva’s wife, she was now utterly stupefied. All that was left in her control was to watch helplessly whatever might come to pass. The moment Gauharbai set foot in the company, Bal Gandharva’s brother Bapurao Rajhans walked out of it. It cannot have been at all difficult for Gauharbai to poison Bal Gandharva’s ears against him. On November 21st 1940, Bal Gandharva’s wife passed away.
Lakhimchand Passes Away
By now, Bal Gandharva had set up a separate household with Gauharbai. He used to call her “Gauharbaba”; she called him “Dada.” He began to dye his hair in the Muslim fashion. Word began to spread that he would now become a Muslim and marry Gauharbai. This reached the ears of the Karachi merchant, Lakhimchand. He went to Nashik to meet Bal Gandharva. He made every possible effort to change Bal Gandharva’s mind. But Bal Gandharva kept saying only, “It cannot be… there is no escape…” Seeing that he would not listen, the Sethji — for Bal Gandharva’s own good, and against the sums he had advanced him — had all the property of the Gandharva Natak Mandali and the guava-orchard land transferred into his own name. But he said, “Narayanrao, the day you are freed from this eclipse, I shall hand it all back to you exactly as it is.”
With a sorrowful heart the Sethji returned to Karachi. He had now lost all interest in living. In his last days he wished to meet Bal Gandharva. Given the Sethji’s final days, it would have been better had Bal Gandharva gone by aeroplane. But, in dread that the plane might meet with an accident, Gauharbai forced him to travel by rail. On February 10, 1939 the Sethji breathed his last while listening to a recording of Bal Gandharva. Bal Gandharva reached there the next day, but it was too late….
It appears that, apart from his special feelings for Gauharbai, Bal Gandharva had given no other thought to her at all. For example, once she began acting in the plays, who was to correct her Kannada-accented Marathi? Who was to explain to her the delivery of words, the meaning of the dialogues, the context of the storylines? Who was to bring to her notice the mythological and historical references contained in the plays? Who was to conduct her rehearsals? Could she ever have come even close to the roles that Bal Gandharva had made immortal? On these matters, he had given no thought whatsoever. Indeed, he had given no thought even to teaching the roles to the likes of Chonkar. And the company no longer had a rehearsal-master to have all this done by them. Ganpatrao too could not possibly return. For one, Bal Gandharva made no such efforts. And in any case, the moment Gauharbai joined the company, Ganpatrao had fiercely opposed it.
Gauharbai’s Failure
In Bal Gandharva, the old fire no longer remained. Neither the beauty, nor the enthusiasm, nor the strength to take pains… he had lost it all. And so, deciding to stay on the road until Gauharbai was ready, the Gandharva Mandali kept touring through Khandesh, Marathwada and Vidarbha. After some time, Gauharbai did indeed perform her first role on the stage, in Aurangabad, but the world did not even notice. On November 5, 1939, in Mumbai, Gauharbai made her debut in the play Mrichchhakatika. She gave a few performances in December also. With these, she met with nothing but utter failure. Despite this, Bal Gandharva would not bring himself to be free of her. He kept putting it off, offering some excuse or other. And although Gauharbai had won no success on the stage, since Bal Gandharva had taken her in along with the daughter from her former life, she went about brazenly, with her head held high, full of arrogance. Her failure on stage made no difference at all to her. For she had Bal Gandharva’s company, the pleasing sense that he was under her thumb, and supreme authority within the Gandharva Mandali.
Insolvency, Padma’s Marriage
On November 21st 1940, Bal Gandharva’s wife, having wasted away little by little, left this world. The responsibility of looking after Padma had to be taken up by her elder sister. But since Padma and Durgaram had fallen in love, they decided to get married. When the two of them went to take Bal Gandharva’s blessing, he said, “Ask Gauharbaba and do as she tells you.” But since the two of them did not feel the need to do so, in 1942 the two were united in marriage at an informal ceremony.
By now, no domestic responsibility remained upon Bal Gandharva. Although, thanks to the Karachi Sethji, he had come out of his great debt, a debt of Rs 25,00o to 30,000 still remained. Bal Gandharva had come to realize that, for this, he would have to do things he found unpalatable. And so, in the end, in 1940, he filed for insolvency. By order of the Bombay High Court, no moneylender could now take legal action against him. As a result, from then on, there was no longer any need for Gauharbai to keep up the pretense of having made some enormous sacrifice to oblige Bal Gandharva.
After this, there was no reason why the Gandharva Mandali should not be dissolved. But it carried on nonetheless. Yet now everything was in the hands of the uncultured Gauharbai. As a result, all the old discipline, refinement and cleanliness vanished, and in their place the household took on the appearance of a dirty, filthy dharmashala. People could not bear her bullying. To see Bal Gandharva, who had lived and dwelt like a king, dancing helplessly to her tune was unbearable. Bal Gandharva had had brocade saris (shalus) made at a cost of thousands of rupees, fine specimens that would seem the very height of artistry. But to Gauharbai, who tore them apart and melted down the silver thread in them, Bal Gandharva said nothing at all. He merely went on watching with open eyes. The people around grew uneasy observing the situation. In the end, Dr. Bhadkamkar handed over the running of the company to Krishnappa Bhandarkar and Sadashiv Nevrekar.
Centenary Festival
Through this period, some movement or other was always taking place in the world of the arts. It had been decided to celebrate the centenary festival of the stage. At this festival, the plays performed by Bal Gandharva and the old actors too made a great impact. The festival drew an unprecedented response from connoisseurs. The reception-chairman of the festival was Acharya Atre, while Bal Gandharva graced the office of president. Because of this festival, the stage once again acquired a fresh luster. Gauharbai was nowhere to be seen amid all that glitter, and no one even enquired after her. Bal Gandharva was not going to leave the woman. But to stand once more upon the stage he was ready to make any compromise. In a letter he wrote to Vasant Desai, he says plainly, “Gauharbai will not interfere in the company’s affairs in the slightest! And even if, for whatever reason, Gauharbai is not included in the new arrangement, I shall not care. If it is felt that the Gandharva Mandali is not being run in its own interest, Dr. Bhadkamkar shall retain the right to take the company back into his control.”
It is worth noting that it was Bal Gandharva who made all the compromises.