Nagpur: Amidst political noise and police protection, the controversial Marathi play Mee Nathuram Godse Boltoy, opened to a packed house at Dr Vasantrao Deshpande Hall on Friday. The workers of Nationalist Youth Congress Party staged demonstration outside the hall and burned posters and effigies. Local policemen apart from senior officers manned the premises and cordoned off the area surrounding the theatre. The activists also led a protest march against the play and its protagonist. Some activists who managed to enter the theatre were whisked away by the policemen.
Mee Nathuram Godse Boltoy, is written by Pradeep Dalvi and produced by Uday Dhurat, was first staged in the year 1997. It had a successful run of 13 shows but was, then, banned by the State government for its alleged controversial content. Dhurat approached the high court in 1998. The permission for staging the play was granted in 2001.
The protest were led by pradesh vice-president of the youth wing of NCP Salil Deshmukh. Activists shouted slogans like Mahatma Gandhi Zindabad, Nathuram Godse Murdabad.
The play elicited reactions from political circles. Salil Deshmukh said that staging such controversial plays are shameful. The play is painting an unsavory image of Mahatma Gandhi and making Nathuram Godse a staunch nationalist.
Audience on the other hand did enjoy the play without hassles. One of the audience said that Indian is the largest democracy in the world, people should open to debate and constructive criticism.
