Nana represents commercial, soulless modernity. He has no respect for art. The play argues that society uses the artist for entertainment and discards him once he is old.
The legendary Marathi play was written by the eminent playwright and poet Vishnu Vaman Shirwadkar , popularly known by his pen name Kusumagraj Key Highlights of Natsamrat Literary Significance natsamrat written by
The play follows Ramrao Shelke, a retired stage actor famous for playing King Lear, Shylock, and Othello. After gifting his wealth and home to his daughter and son-in-law (who squander it), Ramrao and his devoted wife, Nana, are forced into a chawl (tenement). There, he is humiliated by his own student, Gunvant, and ultimately suffers the death of his wife and his own mental collapse—culminating in a final, heart-wrenching performance of King Lear in a deserted temple. Nana represents commercial, soulless modernity
Natsamrat is not merely a play; it is a mirror held up to society. It asks us: Do we value our cultural treasures while they are alive, or only after they are gone? Kusumagraj wrote the words, but the silence that follows Appa’s death belongs to all of us. The legendary Marathi play was written by the
: The story reached a wider audience through the 2016 film directed by Mahesh Manjrekar, starring Nana Patekar in a career-defining performance.
Kusumagraj (1912–1999) wrote Natsamrat during a period of rapid urbanization and cultural shift in Maharashtra. The play reflects anxieties about the erosion of classical art forms (like Sangeet Natak) by modern, profit-driven entertainment (cinema and tamasha). The character of Ramrao is believed to be inspired by real-life stage actors such as Nanasaheb Phatak and Bal Gandharva, embodying the forgotten glory of Marathi natya sangeet.
Kusumagraj wrote this character as a metaphor for the artist in a changing world. The play’s central tragedy is not just a father’s betrayal by his children, but the death of a classical art form at the hands of crass, modern cinema. Kusumagraj channeled his own fears: as a poet of the old guard, he watched the younger generation abandon nuanced literature for pulp.