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FOUNTAIN Presents
Written by Pradeep Dalvi
I AM NATHURAM GODSE SPEAKING
Cast
Kunal Limaye Sanjay Belosey Uday Sabnis
Kaustubh Savarkar Hemant Pendse Raja Kashid
Rishikesh Shinde Hemangi Velankar Ajayaswini Lale
Background Score Dada Parasnaik
Executive Producer Nikhil Mehendale
Directed by Sanjay Belosey
Video Director Vinay A. Lad
--== Subtitles by *aRcH* ==--
All of you are unfamiliar to me.
Actually 'unfamiliar' is the wrong word to use here.
Since it opens up the possibility that I could've known you.
All your faces are new to me.
New, mind you, but not foreign.
The youngsters among you, were not even born at that time.
You must have read about me as a 'Hindu fanatic' in the official history.
The middle-aged amongst you...
back then would've been fleeing with their parents --
-- from the massacre of Brahmins as the outcome of the assassination --
-- asking: "Who is this Nathuram?" "Why are our houses being burnt because of him?"
But the elders among you...
They will remember me!
Read in the newspaper, Heard on the radio.
Some might have read 'Agrani', the newspaper run by myself and Nana Apte.
Listened to my speeches in gatherings, maybe even met me in person.
But that meeting --
-- and this acquaintance --
-- they must have persistently denied after January 30, 1948.
But would they be here today?
Who is going to bring those old folks here?
OLD!
My peers!
Do you know my age?
93 years!
Unbelievebale, isnt it?
You would think I am lying.
'He looks young.'
But the secret of my eternal youth is my death.
An untimely death.
Don't you think death blessess you with eternal youth?
You dont.
Try thinking of someone close who is dead.
Any beloved person who died 20-25 years ago.
Do you see wrinkles on her face? (Shakes head)
All the teeth are intact.
Dense dark hair dancing to the winds.
And your hair!
No dont touch your head. Probably there is nothing left.
I am young because I am dead.
The curse of old age is to the living body.
The blessing of eternal youth was given to me by Tatyarao Savarkar.
Tatyarao Savarkar.
Warm blaze of the Sun, speed of the wind, sterness of a rock...
And mature wisdom that would make 'Brahma' want to be his pupil.
The human form that embodied all these was Tatyarao Savarkar.
I still remember that day.
I was in prison.
I was being interrogated.
Unnecessarily he was arrested and brought to Delhi --
-- with sole purpose of harassment.
The moment I saw Tatyarao, I stood up & bowed before him.
Tatyarao said,
“Chiranjeev ho” (Live forever)
I said, “Tatyarao”
“Sorry, but I don't think I can follow this order.”
Tatyarao said, “You are wrong.”
“I did not say - live a 100 years, I said - live forever."
"And you are going to live forever."
"The moment you pulled the trigger and Gandhi died, you immortalized 'Nathuram Godse'.
Whether you finished Gandhism could be debatable, but you finished Gandhi & you prevailed.
Not only will Gandhi's opponents treat you as their king but even his supporters will immortalize you in his biography.
Just as Gandhi's biography cannot start without the mention of his parents, it wont end without the mention of you.
The words of Tatyarao...
...as if inscribed in rock!
Each word he spoke made a difference & each word he wrote was like a scripture.
How then will it turn untrue?
So here I am...a 93 year old.
I embraced death at the age of 39 years.
An untimely death.
Untimely, but invited... ...and certainly accepted.
But I am eternally young.
Like 'Ashwathama'.
'Ashwathama' is wandering pleading oil for his wounded head.
But I have a wounded heart & a wounded conscience.
Which has been slashed several times.
By the country being torn apart...
The rapes of our refugee mothers & sisters.
The 55 Crore rupees granted to Pakistan due to Gandhi's childish obstinacy.
and cleaved from undivided India & bestowed upon Pakistan...
...the river Sindhu.
'Ashwathama' is still craving for oil.
But all I want is the touch of that Holy Water.
My ashes are waiting for that touch...
...waiting for last 50 years.
I have put it in my will.
Let my ashes be transferred through generations to come --
-- but do not dissolve them until an undivided Sindhu flows through an undivided India.
On reading my will Tatyarao said, “Nathuram, you are the 'Dadhichi' of modern India.
"Your ashes shall turn into weapons."
I said, “Tatyarao, forgive me, but why do you compare me to such a great man?"
'Bhavani' sword was a piece of iron, but every piece of iron cannot be 'Bhavani' sword.
But how can Tatyarao ever be speechless?
He was never beleaguered by questions. He was only surrounded by answers.
He said, “(Shivaji) Maharaj's touch turned the sword into - Bhavani.”
“Its not the blade, it's the fist that matters”
“The grit in the fist sharpens the blade.”
“Your principles, your thought will survive through your ashes -- ”
“ -- which then will become weapons.”
My life was fulfilled because I went to Tatyarao as an iron and his touch gilded me.
All my mistakes and vices are my own, but whatever good I did was due to Tatyarao.
He is not responsible for the wrongs.
'The jeweler cant be responsible if his jewels land in hands of smugglers, instead of adorning idols of Gods'
So here I am, a 93 year old man.
Nathuram Vinayak Godse.
I was born in the first decade of the last century.
19 May 1910.
My father, Vinayakrao, worked in Postal Office.
My mother was Laxmi.
You must have seen several 'avatars' of Vishnu.
But Lakshmi's avatar full of hardwork & grief was only to be seen in the Godse household.
Like 'Dashratha', she died longing for her son.
The same pain, sorrow, and love towards the son.
Except her 'Ram' wasn't leaving for the forest
He was leaving this world.
'Laxman' was rotting in the prison.
'Urmila' was with her but this 'Laxmi' had never killed any 'Shravan'. (**Highly Colloquial**)
Vinayakrao earned Rs. 15 per month.
Keeping 10 for house expenses, he used to send 5 to his father.
Vinayak & Laxmi had 3 children...
...none survived
They prayed for the child to live.
Then was born...
Nathuram.
He lived...
...because they would lose him too...
...because Gandhi needed to be assassinated.
My childhood was good.
I never stole...so never had to beg forgiveness to Dad.
I never swore to be bachelor. I always was.
I met many refugees. I provided them with food and clothing.
But I never wandered around half naked, just because they were half naked.
I did not spin cotton, did not clean toilets...
...did not keep quiet till the very moment I was hanged.
There is just one common point between me and Gandhi.
I assassinated him and that caused my death.
But there is a big difference!
He was ready to live for his principles.
But I was ready to die for mine.
But of course, you wont be interested in this part of my life.
Who knew 'Hirkani' before she climbed the fort?
Babu Genu, who lied in front of the truck carrying foreign clothes lived only the moment of his death.
Likewise, Nathuram's true biography starts from 30th January 1948.
After the assassination of Gandhi.
Actually Nathuram lived his life only 655 days.
30 Jan 1948 to 15 Nov 1949.
And this biography starts when the cabinet approved giving Rs. 55 Crores to Pakistan.
Pandit.
Pandit.
Pandit, you changed the editorial?
Yes, because I felt the previous was untrue.
A false editorial by you? Come on!
But it was.
I was writing , dont celebrate 'Sankrant' tomorrow by distributing 'Tilgul'.
Distribute bullets, distribute weapons.
Dont speak sweetly, dont behave sweetly.
If you want to speak, howl war cries, thrash your enemies.
What was wrong with that?
You havent asked me the title of the changed editorial?
What is it?
“Words without action are useless.”
Wah!
I have written...
Lets celebrate “Dusshera” tomorrow. Lets get some weapons & lets break in the border.
Pandit, we might get arrested for that.
I don't think so.
'Agrani' is a Hindu mouthpiece.
The Govt. doesn't give a damn about Hindu's, why would they even be bothered with our paper.
Our tolerance is being taken the wrong way.
The massacre of Hindu's is being overlooked because our tolerance is taken for granted.
There is a quote by Shakespeare.
“If wounds had tongues, they would have spoken of the pain.”
But our wounds have no tongues, only tears.
Our anger has no vengeance, only forgiveness.
Other should commit atrocities against us & we should quietly bear those.
It like some norm.
Just like some law of nature.
The Govt. will take my statements in all seriousness...
...during the trial.
What trial?
Of Gandhi's assassination.
Now there is just one way left to stop Gandhi.
His assassination.
But don't you think this is a hasty, reckless decision?
No, Nana.
No. Assasination is never easy.
It is never an accident.
***, maybe, but not assassination.
And certainly not Gandhi's assassination.
Do you really think it is absolutely necessary?
Yes
Absolutely necessary.
Any further delay will only cause more harm.
Don't you think we could be meddling with an important era in history?
I am not sure about era, but we are surely meddling with a page in the history.