Time proves to be the strongest eraser of memories. Else, how could one explain the massive failure of Nagpurians in remembering the legendary Dr Vasantrao Deshpande? On one hand, the city of Nagpur has an auditorium named after the legend in Classical Vocal. On the other, today, not one theatre in the same city has made available itself for screening four shows a day of the biographical Marathi movie on him -- ‘Mee Vasantrao’. What else could be more unfortunate thing to happen for Nagpur? If one does not believe, search online for shows of this movie in Nagpur. On weekdays, there is only show -- 9 am (!) at a theatre in West Nagpur, and another at 7.15 pm in another part of the city. That’s all! One wonders if the movie is being screened deliberately at as odd a time as 9 am so that people should not come with families to watch the film. Everyone knows what kind of movies were shown at 9 am or 10 am (then, such movies were referred to as ‘morning shows’).

 

 

 

Now, cultural sensibilities have dipped to such a level that no one finds it odd that a biographical movie on a legend that Nagpur should proudly claim as its own, is being screened in only one show, that too, at such an odd timing. Sad... What to say about another single show in the evening. With Nagpur’s growth and people living in different parts of the city, is it possible for families having senior citizens and children to travel all the way to that one theatre for 7.15 pm show, and then return home late in the night after the movie ends? Even if some family decides to do so, it means either skipping home-cooked dinner that is required for senior citizens and kids or delaying their sleep-time. Forget about the timings, what about the number of shows of a Marathi movie in Maharashtra? Should that number be so limited?

 

Why can’t the theatres screen Marathi movies in four shows a day? In an era, when cultured audience is crying for movies with good content, fine expressions, and something that one can watch together with family members of all age-groups, what is stopping theatres from showing movies like ‘Mee Vasantrao’ in four shows a day? Probably, by screening just one show a day, as per timings of their choice (not as per suitability of the audience), they are just meeting the norm of screening Marathi movie. More surprising and shocking is the apathy of cultural organisations of the city in organising shows of ‘Mee Vasantrao’. The city, which boasts of hosting a mega annual cultural event, appears to have conveniently forgotten the monumental contribution of Dr Vasantrao Deshpande to Indian music. Not one cultural organisation, and not one political leader who otherwise cry for Marathi, have come forward in condemning the non-availability of more number of screens and shows in the city for the movie on Nagpur’s own music legend. Where are the people who otherwise go for block-bookings for charities?

 

Do not they find it worth to acquaint the younger generation of Nagpurians with the legend like Dr Vasantrao Deshpande? One gets tempted to using this opportunity to write about Dr Vasantrao Deshpande and his struggle, his stellar achievements. But, that will not do justice either to the legend or the topic of this article. How can a city call itself getting culturally refined if it is not bothered about taking such opportunities? Nagpurians of all ilk -- theatre-owners, cultural organisations, political leaders, champions of Marathi art and literature, students and teachers and representatives of music world, writers -- need to wake up from slumber. It is not the question about a Marathi movie, but it is about the collective failure in remembering the legends that had roots in Nagpur. It is about the city forgetting, as if on purpose, the connections with own rich cultural heritage and legends; and at the same time celebrating and popularising the biographies on goons and brigands.

 

Probably, it is because of such attitude of the city of Nagpur that legends felt suffocated here and shifted elsewhere, where they were respected more. If the city is unwilling to know more about the legends whose names have been given to auditoriums and other public places, one must say with pain that it is doing mere lip-service to preserving the richness of culture. For, culture is preserved not only in buildings but in the hearts and minds. Immortals are not bothered whether someone remembers them. But, when a city tends to lose interest in knowing more about its own legends, it accumulates nothing but failure after failure -- in inspiring younger generation to scale great heights. It fails in providing the younger generation with icons who surmounted all odds and rose to the level where excellence and their names became synonymous. It fails in instilling in younger hearts the spirit of saying it aloud, “Mee Vasantrao!”, with the name of Dr Vasantrao Deshpande being one great symbolism of excellence.