‘She never held a stick in her hand, but she would encourage us to discover the character on our own.’
Key Points
- ‘She was extremely lovable. It was never a guru-shishya equation.’
- ‘I would often tease her for not wearing the right sari or a matching blouse. She would laugh and say, ‘Aali majhi saasu (Here comes my mother-in-law)’.’
- ‘It is easy to point out stiffness in an actor. You will see that in many actors who don’t know what to do with their hands.’
Few relationships in Indian theatre have been as enduring as the one between Bharati Achrekar and the late legendary theatre director Vijaya Mehta.
Mehta shaped many actors and their journeys in acting.
For Achrekar, she has always been her ‘Bai‘.
Their equation went beyond that of actor and director, becoming something closer to a tightly-knit family.
After Bai passed away on June 30 at the age of 91, Achrekar remembers how, until about two years ago, she was still agile and full of life.
‘My last play with Bai was in 1979. After that, we became friends. We shared life beyond theatre. We would meet at Bombay Gymkhana, travel together, attend parties, and visit each other’s homes,” Achrekar tells Mayur Sanap/Rediff.
“I spent decades with Bai. Her enthusiasm was just like ours. She was so young at heart.’
‘Bai Was Gentle And Loving’
Everyone calls her Vijaya Bai, but you have always called her Bai.
Calling her ‘Bai’ felt more personal than addressing her as ‘Vijaya Bai’.
Back in the 1970s, when we were all young — Neena (Kulkarni), Nana (Patekar) and the rest of us — everyone close to her simply began calling her ‘Bai’. Very few people would address her as ‘Vijaya Bai’. It became a term of affection.
What was your first experience of working with her?
I knew her even before I began working in theatre, as I was acquainted with many people in the industry through my mother (renowned classical singer Manik Varma).
Professionally, my first interaction happened because of the play, Hamidabaichi Kothi , starring Neena, Nana Patekar, Dilip Kolhatkar, Ashok Saraf, Bai and me.
After that, Bai became someone I felt close to. She was extremely lovable. It was never a guru-shishya equation.
One thing about Bai was that if she had something important to say, she would explain it lovingly. It was very new experience for me because my initial plays were with Dattaram Bapu (Master Dattaram) and others, and they were quite strict. On the other hand, Bai was gentle and loving.
She was older than us, but I never felt intimidated by her.
She never created distance. She would always tell us, ‘If you have a question, just ask. Only then can we build the play together.’
She had one important rule.
The entire cast had to attend rehearsals. She believed every actor should understand the whole play, not just their own part. Even if an actor was not needed in a particular scene, they would stay, watch, and learn.
‘Bai’s actors have a naturally-expressive body language’
What made her direction different?
She had a knack for extracting a performance out of you. She would give us a situation and set us free.
My role in Hamidabaichi Kothi was that of a tawaif (courtesan). I had never met a woman like that in my life.
One day, she called my father (Amar Varma), who had made a documentary on tawaifs. She asked him to explain to me what these women are. He took me straight to kothas in Girgaon (south Mumbai).
I observed these women about they walk, how they talk, how they conduct themselves. That really helped me.
This was Bai’s style. She never imposed herself on an actor. She trusted us to find the role.
What acting philosophy did you learn from her that has stayed with you?
Everything. How you conduct yourself as an actor on stage and on screen, and your expressions, that’s very important.
Bai’s actors have a naturally-expressive body language. She would often tell us to use every part of the body to express ourselves as actors.
It is easy to point out stiffness in an actor. You will see that in many actors who don’t know what to do with their hands.
She wanted truth, not exaggeration.
There are many such little things we got to learn from her. She gave us confidence as actors. She never held a stick in her hand, but she would encourage us to discover the character on our own.
‘I would often tease her for not wearing the right sari or a matching blouse’
Is there one memory with Bai that remains closest to your heart?
I can’t choose just one. There are simply too many memories with her.
I spent decades with Bai. Her enthusiasm was just like ours. She was so young at heart. It was only a couple of years ago that she started feeling frail.
I would often tease her for not wearing the right sari or a matching blouse. She would laugh and say, ‘Aali majhi saasu (Here comes my mother-in-law).’
Then I would pick out something nice for her to wear.
Neena and I shared a very loving relationship with her.
My last play with Bai was in 1979. After that, we became friends. We shared life beyond theatre. We would meet at Bombay Gymkhana, travel together, attend parties, and visit each other’s homes.
I was close not only to Bai but also to Farrokh (Vijaya Mehta’s late husband), and Anahita (Uberoi, Vijaya’s daughter). I did an English play with Anahita. Bai had come to watch that play.
What do you think today’s generation of actors should learn from Bai?
I don’t blame today’s generation for being different. They have so many avenues. They live in a completely different world: Television, films, commercials, social media. Their realities are different from ours. They don’t necessarily need a guru the way we did, and that’s very unfortunate.
Bai had stopped working some time ago, but I don’t think there’s anyone like her.
We learned so much from Bai. I don’t think today’s actors will ever find a guru like her because there isn’t one. That generation is no more.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
