The Stage and Sri Ramakrishna Debjani Roy Moulik
Rangmahal staged a drama in 1959 or 1960, which was written by Dr. Sadhan Kumar
Bhattacharya, the noted critic of drama. It was performed by theatre personalities besides
the professors. In the hero’s role was Kamal Mitra. He arrived a little before the performance
was to begin. Instead of going to the green room, as generally expected, he went beside
the wings to pay his respect to the picture of Sri Ramakrishna. Only after that did he rush to
the green room. The curious Nalini Ranjan Chattopadhyay asked his teacher, Dr.
Bhattacharya the reason behind this unusual act. The latter replied that from the day when
Sri Ramakrishna came to the theatre and blessed Binodini, the professional actors and
actresses have marked him as the patron-saint of the theatre and pay their obeisance
before beginning their work. Now the question that naturally arises is: why Sri Ramakrishna?
What has this saint to do with theatre? This is precisely what this paper aims to show.
Sri Ramakrishna came to the public theatre around a hundred and twenty years ago.
The theatre has faced many ups and downs during these years. The paper aims to show the
role of Sri Ramakrishna in the overall progress of the theatre. He was aware of the
importance of theatre in promoting general awareness among the people. His
encouragement went far beyond the contemporaneous social strictures and lent a dignity,
hitherto absent to all those who were associated with the stage. And theatre, thus aware of
its new responsibility, began to actively spread the message of spiritualism and nationalism
among the common people.
Sri Ramakrishna’s love for stage can be traced back to his early childhood. He was
gifted with acting and mimicry. In his village Kamarpukur, every evening there were “jatra”
or “baul” songs. He would go through the programme with the careful eye of a critic. Thus
nothing incongruous could escape him. He soon formed his own group of “jatra” and taught
the art of acting to his friends. He himself appeared in the important roles. He was so
talented in performing female roles that none could identify him till he revealed himself. It
should be noted that those who could not identify him – all knew him personally. He could
put on the correct make-up, correct voice and correct gestures – all necessary elements of
performance. Moreover, he did not have the adequate stage decor and lighting. It all
happened under normal conditions – where to create this illusion was even more difficult. Sri
Ramakrishna’s love for theatre continued in his later life. It brought him to the amateur
theatre of Keshab Chandra Sen. The play staged was the latter’s Nababrindaban which was
a direct result of the influence of the saint on the author. Even the plays of Trailokyanath
Sanyal were influenced by Sri Ramakrishna’s teachings (Chattopadhyay 8). The latter also
watched the plays on secular themes – the “jatra” of Bidyasundar and Bibaha Bibhrat.
During Sri Ramakrishna’s times theatre was looked down upon. All those who were
associated with it were regarded as “outcasts”. The reason behind this was the recruitment
of actresses. They were taken from the quarters of prostitutes and so the educated men
would have no connection with them. Ahindra Chowdhury writes that the Bengali stage lost
the association of two great personalities – Vidyasagar and Rabindranath – due to the
presence of these actresses (Chattopadhyay 34). When the public theatre was beyond the
domain of the gentlefolk, Sri Ramakrishna went there. It was September 21, 1884 and the
occasion was the enactment of Chaitanya Lila. He was so impressed with the performance
and more so with the perfect impersonation of Chaitanya by Binodini, that he blessed her:
“Ma may you have chaitanya”(Bhattacharya 95). In “Benediction in Performance”
Bhattacharya writes: “The incident becomes the proof of the inexhaustible grace (kripa) of
the Patitpaban (deliverer of the fallen) and consequently responsible for the remarkable
transformation of Binodini’s life” (Bhattacharya 27). When Sri Ramakrishna was asked how
he liked the play, he said: “I found the representation the same as the real” (Nikhilananda
556).
In the early stage of theatre, all those who were associated with it were “pariah”. This
was so because no one was ready to respect the companions of the prostitutes. But the
person to pay this respect was none other than a monk, who had renounced everything!
Indeed the coming of Sri Ramakrishna to the public theatre provides a final seal of approval.
It gave the actors and dramatists a new confidence. Binodini writes: “If the world looks
down upon me with contempt, it does not matter to me, for I know that he who was the
most worthy of worship, Ramakrishna Paramhansadeb has been kind to me” (Bhattacharya
95). Girishchandra writes that those in the theatre “began to believe that Patitpaban [. . .] is
merciful towards the fallen” (Bhattacharya 217).
Sri Ramakrishna’s grace for the theatre manifested itself in his tolerance for
Girishchandra. Many times did the latter insult him. Some of the disciples of the saint sat on
the bench opposite to the actor. But their guru’s love for theatre and for Girishchandra
forced them to change their attitudes. Similarly did the society change its outlook. Coming
under the influence of Sri Ramakrishna, Girishchandra often wanted to quit theatre. But the
former would not allow him to do so. Sri Ramakrishna was aware of the important role
played by theatre in educating the masses. In a country with a very low literacy rate, how
should the message of spiritualism and nationalism reach everyone? He did not believe in
the efficacy of moralizing through lectures. He felt that the dramatist and the actor could do
this better. So he would tell his disciple: “No, no! Let things be as they are. People will learn
much from your plays” (Nikhilananda 677).
There were two other reasons for not allowing Girishchandra discontinue the theatre.
Together with the audience, the actors would benefit from the intense spiritual and
nationalist feelings. As a proof we can see how Binodini felt while playing the role of
Chaitanya in Chaitanya Lila. She writes: “It seemed as if my own spirit leapt out from within
me and sought refuge at the lotus-feet of Hari. [. . .] On some days it would come to such a
pass that unable to bear the pressure of performance, I would faint on the stage”
(Bhattacharya 94). The other reason was that theatre gave the actresses an alternative
means of earning their livelihood. They were prostitutes who found in drama a means to
earn a respectable livelihood and come out of their earlier stifling environment.
Girishchandra was of the opinion that avoiding the prostitutes, already present in the
society, was no means of curing it. He wanted to show them a new way, following which
they may lead their life with purity and stop seducing men by standing at the market-place.
Sri Ramakrishna, by showering his grace on Girishchandra, was actually nurturing the
cause of theatre. Gradually the latter attained self-consciousness. This is shown in the Act II
scene (ii) of Nimai-Sannyas, together with, how the presence of Sri Ramakrishna in the
world of theatre, is a means of emancipation for all who are connected with it. The actress
is afraid that being a sinner, she cannot enjoy the divine grace; an d the actor consoles her
that God is merciful. Then follows a prayer that voices the mental turmoil of the dramatist,
together with a note of hope: “The sinner calls you, O deliverer of the sinner, fulfill my
desire. Where are you, Gourchand, the saviour of the lowly? [. . .] My tormented soul
forever oscillates, O give me the taste of the nectar of love”. A more direct influence of Sri
Ramakrishna on Girishchandra is seen in the composition of Bilwamangal. It was Sri
Ramakrishna who gave the dramatist clues about the plot construction and character
portrayal, besides some directions on acting (Chattopadhyay 108). The two new characters
– the ascetic and the madwoman – are not present in the original story. Sri Ramakrishna’s
account of his encounter with few people and the associated mimicry made Girishchandra
introduce them into the text of his drama.
The cover picture of Natyamandir Chaitra, 1319 BS was of Sri Ramakrishna. The editor
Amar Dutta gave the reason behind it. He felt that the saint came to the theatre and
washed away all that was bad. It was he who made the theater dignified (Chattopadhyay
75). And indeed such was the case. Girishchandra once commented, “Chaitanya Lila gave
me everything – through it I got the grace of my guru”. The dramatist may have found his
guru, but the theatre world found its guru in the form of Sri Ramakrishna.
Christopher Isherwood comments:
One curious result of their [Sri Ramakrishna’s and Girishchandra’s] association is
that, Ramkrishna’s picture is found to be hanging backstage in nearly every
theatre in Calcutta. The actors bow to it before they make their entrances. By
giving his approval to Girish’s art and encouraging him to continue practising it,
Ramkrishna, became, as it were, the patron-saint of drama in Bengal (Isherwood
254).
Incense is burnt and flowers are offered before the picture of Sri Ramakrishna. Actors,
painters, prompters, shifters – all pay obeisance in front of it before beginning their work.
Even today if some amateur group performs in a public theatre hired for the purpose, the
professionals involved with the stage continue the tradition.
Not just this, but the handbills, posters and advertisements of drama bore the
superscription “In the Holy feet of Sri Ramakrishna”. Sometimes he was addressed as
“gurumaharaj” and “natanath”. Sisir Kumar Bhaduri used “natanath” in his handbills and
posters (Chattopadhyay 80). Amar Dutta began to write his drama Napolean Bonaparte on
the “auspicious occasion of Ramakrishna’s birthday”. The journal Natayamandir edited by
Dutta had its printing press named “Ramakrishna Printing Works” (Chattopadhyay 79-80).
Even in his letter to his son, Kshirod Prasad Bidyabinod uses the superscript of Sri
Ramakrishna.
Now the question that arises is why should Sri Ramakrishna be the “patron-saint” of
the theatre? Anil Chatterjee feels this is because he was the spiritual teacher of the
dramatist, encouraged him to write and gave theatre its due respect (Chattopadhyay 254-
255). But Chattopadhyay feels that the personal guru of Girishchandra cannot be the
patron-saint of the theatre. Sri Ramakrishna was so in his own right. He saw theatre as a
means of enlightening the masses. He also saw it as a part of the mystery of human life,
solving which one may attain the spiritual world. Chattopadhyay writes in Sri Ramakrishna o
Banga Rangamancha, “It was Sri Ramakrishna, the lover of human life, who accepted the
origin of the happiness of the masses – the stage. All those who are involved with the stage
offer their respects to this lover of mankind”. Gautam Buddha had blessed Amrapali and
Kuvalaya but they had already snapped their ties with the theatre. But Sri Ramakrishna
forbade Girishchandra to quit the theatre and blessed the actors. The Bengali artistes pay
their respect to the courage of the great lover of mankind.
In the conclusion, it may be said that the influence of Sri Ramakrishna continues even
today. Savitri Chatterjee says that by blessing Binodini, he had actually blessed all the actors
of the past, present and future. She says, “Even today when I face the footlight, I
remember the blessing of Sri Ramakrishna”. Had not Sri Ramakrishna come to the Star
Theatre, it would have been still a long way to go, before the theatre could enjoy a
respectable position in the society. Stage was the first place where women could earn a
respectable livelihood. And Sri Ramakrishna showed his courage in going against the society
and acknowledging this act of economic independence of women.
Works Cited
Bhattacharya, Rimli. “Benediction in Performance: Reverberations of Chaitanya Lila from the
1880’s”. Jadavpur Journal of Comparative Literature. 33 (1995 – 96): 26-58.
Chattopadhyay, Nalini Ranjan. Sri Ramakrishna o Banga Rangamancha. Calcutta: Mandal
Book House, 1978.
Dasi, Binodini. Amar Jiban and Amar Abhinetri Jiban. Trans. Rimli Bhattacharya. New Delhi:
Kali for Women, 1998.
Gupta, Mahendranath. Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. Madras:
Sri Ramakrishna Math.
Isherwood, Cristopher. Ramkrishna and his Disciples. Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1965.
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