Veteran Marathi theatre artist Nayana Apte was felicitated at the hands of industrialist and Fomento Group Chairman Auduth Timblo in Margao on Tuesday.
PANAJI
“Those who get good Gurus in life are blessed, and I find myself one of these blessed souls because I have met many teachers in my life who taught me various skills at different points of life, and the late Bhikoo Pai Angle was one of my Gurus who showed me the direction towards being a good actor. I had played the character of Satyavati in the musical play ‘Sangeet Matsyagandha’ under the direction of Bhikoo Pai Angle, and as an actor, I tried to learn so much from him during that learning phase of my theatrical career, which has remained with me for life,” stated veteran Marathi theatre artist Nayana Apte, after being honoured at the birth centenary celebration of the late Bhikoo Pai Angle at Ravindra Bhavan in Margao.
Felicitated at the hands of industrialist Auduth Timblo, who himself had been a student of the late Bhikoo Pai Angle at Campion School in Mumbai, the Padma Shri awardee artist further shared her memories of co-sharing the stage with veterans in her time. The 75-year-old actress, who started her theatre career at the age of five as a child artist sharing the stage with her mother, noted Marathi theatre artist Shanta Apte, has been on stage for 70 long years.
“During this long journey, I have entertained audiences of all ages, from children to the elderly, and all of them have enjoyed the vivid characters I played. It was a golden era of good playwrights, good directors, and good actors, all of whom came together, and the art of theatre saw its golden period then. Today, the mediums of entertainment have changed, but the art remains the same. If an artist has talent, the art would be appreciated. However, in television serials, it matters more how you look than how you act. Quality is given less importance in serials, but in theatre, when live performances are presented, acting skills are appreciated more,” said Apte.
Commenting on today’s generation, which is addicted to mobile screens, Apte said that our Gen Z is living a different lifestyle and has become handicapped due to their addiction to the small screen, affecting their eyesight, neck, hands, and everything else.
“They work for 14 hours or more to earn packages in lakhs. But they have lost the golden era of art, culture, and pure entertainment. I am blessed to have witnessed that era and still remain connected to all mediums of art and entertainment, even at this age. I could also retain what I learnt in all those years on stage because I valued it,” said the septuagenarian, who, along with other artists, staged a ‘Pravesh’ from the famous musical Marathi play ‘Sangeet Matsyagandha’, showcasing her acting skills at this ripe age. Chandu Kane directed the play.
On this occasion, Chandu Pai Kane, Hemant Pai Angle, Dr Vyankatesh Hegde, Kapil Nayak, Yogan Kossambe, Nayana Apte, Ganpat Chanekar, Umakant Sawant, Digesh Pai Angle, and Prasad Shinkre were felicitated at the hands of Dilip Dharwadkar and Pravas Naik.
The second part of the birth centenary of educationist, actor, theatre director, writer, and sportsperson, the late Bhikoo Pai Angle, was celebrated at Ravindra Bhavan Margao on Tuesday.
Later, artists who worked with the late Bhikoo Pai Angle presented the Natya Sangeet. Prutha Kuncolienkar and Yoguish Sambari presented Natya Sangeet from the plays directed by the late Bhikoobab. Also, the children’s skit directed by him, ‘Tujha Tu Vadhvi Raja,’ staged in 2001, was presented by Dr Pradeep Borkar and Rutuja Raikar.
The last stage appearance of the late Bhikoobab was in the play ‘Raigadh’ at Ramnathi in 2016. A part of this play was performed by Ashvek Shanbhag and Nayana Apte. Pradip Shilkar accompanied on the organ, and Shailesh Gaonkar played the tabla for the Natya Sangeet. Rajiv Shinkre compared the programme.
