‘Musical theatre is self-assessment tool’

After devoting much of the past four decades of his life to acting on stage, television and films, Ramesh Bhatkar turns tuneful with his debut on musical stage in Marathi play ‘Yayati Ani Devayani’



Ramesh Bhatkar


Best known for his roles of strikingly handsome, classically heroic, strong-minded and intrinsically intelligent supercop in TV series like ‘Commander’ and ‘Hello Inspector’, Ramesh Bhatkar is probably the first and only ‘angry young man’ of the Marathi industry. After spending nearly four eventful decades as an accomplished actor, he is now in mood to relish the contentment he derived from his widespread successful career.
Accepting new challenges is in his instinct, so, it wasn’t surprising when Ramesh Bhatkar made his debut in Sangeet Natak last year with ‘Yayati Ani Devayani’. The Vidarbha tour of this play has already begun and the team is in Nagpur nowadays to stage shows.

“I was excited to be a part of the greatest tradition of Marathi theatre – the musical plays!” says Ramesh, who terms himself as a good listener of music, but a bad singer. “I am not singing in this play. My character is of King Yayati, and I have only prose dialogues.”

However, rendering classic and poetic dialogues was real challenge. “It tests your language skills, and knowledge. I term musical theatre as self-assessment tool for an artist,” he says.
Bhatkar, notably, is the first actor from Mumbai mainstream who joined Jhadipatti theatre movement. “I did Jhadipatti for almost three years. It was enriching experience. People here are wonderful, and audience is well-mannered and cultured. I discontinued when I got engaged with music theatre,” he explains.

With a career that includes about 30 television serials and numerous Marathi, Hindi movies, Ramesh Bhatkar finds no suitable offer these days. “The ‘Marathiness’ is no more with Marathi television now. We see lavish bungalows, rich families, and storylines copied from Hindi. I don’t want to work in this atmosphere just for the sake of money,” he says firmly.
“However, I like to keep myself fit and fine for any role,” when he says, one realises how his looks belie his age.
While speaking on Nagpur, he recalls his frequent visits to the city during ‘Ashrunchi Zali Fule’ days. “No commercial Marathi drama completes without its show in Nagpur,” he says. As his play is scheduled in the evening, Ramesh Bhatkar enjoys roaming around the city, and visiting some popular places. “I am planning to go for a movie, suggest me a good theatre,” he quickly asks, followed by his trademark smile.


Cutting of the same article appeared in The Hitavada
(All photographs by Satish Raut)