<p>Septuagenarians Gopal Sharman and Jalabala Vaidya are a picture of poise and serenity. Nearly 33 years after the couple first broke onto the theatre scene, on Broadway itself, they are now basking in the glory of their accumulated success and goodwill. So when Gopal and Jalabala’s Ramayan was staged for possibly the 2000th time recently (they say they stopped counting), Metrolife decided to revisit the duo and ask about their plans for their love and life - Akshara theatre.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Gopal Sharman first rose to fame as an art critic. Extraordinarily well-read and a master of literary works in English, Hindi as well as Sanskrit, he used to write for several Delhi-based publications. <br /><br />In ’63, he was hired to write for Link magazine. “Gopal was writing his first article here and taking inordinately long,” says Link’s then assistant editor, Jalabala Vaidya, “I first sent him a note, in reply to which he wrote me a poem but when the delay started threatening the day’s publication, I marched to his cubicle.” “It was love at first sight,” confesses Gopal.<br /><br />One of his columns for the Indian Express, under the pen name Nachiketa, had become a favourite of the then President Dr S Radhakrishnan. When the latter underwent a cataract operation and couldn’t read by himself anymore, he requested his staff to get the writer himself.<br /><br />“I was delighted but felt that Jalabala, is a better reader and hence should attend to the President. Unfortunately, due to some confusion, only Jalabala was allowed to visit Rashtrapati Bhavan. The good part was that he liked it so much that he immediately requested ICCR a public recital.”<br /><br />Rest, as they say is history. From the ICCR, where a few foreign delegates spotted it, the ‘show’ travelled to Europe. Here, they got such rave reviews that the Royal Shakespeare Company invited the duo to prepare a play for its World Theatre Season. And Gopal’s Ramayan was born. <br /><br />Of course, then it was a one-woman show with Jalabala playing all the characters in the epic, at all prestigious theatre stages of the world. Now, a cast of six-seven people at least, including their grandchildren Nisa and Dhruv, perform this play.<br /><br />Jalabala says, “Gopal has written several plays since but Ramayan remains etched in the hearts of one and all.”</p>
<p>Septuagenarians Gopal Sharman and Jalabala Vaidya are a picture of poise and serenity. Nearly 33 years after the couple first broke onto the theatre scene, on Broadway itself, they are now basking in the glory of their accumulated success and goodwill. So when Gopal and Jalabala’s Ramayan was staged for possibly the 2000th time recently (they say they stopped counting), Metrolife decided to revisit the duo and ask about their plans for their love and life - Akshara theatre.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Gopal Sharman first rose to fame as an art critic. Extraordinarily well-read and a master of literary works in English, Hindi as well as Sanskrit, he used to write for several Delhi-based publications. <br /><br />In ’63, he was hired to write for Link magazine. “Gopal was writing his first article here and taking inordinately long,” says Link’s then assistant editor, Jalabala Vaidya, “I first sent him a note, in reply to which he wrote me a poem but when the delay started threatening the day’s publication, I marched to his cubicle.” “It was love at first sight,” confesses Gopal.<br /><br />One of his columns for the Indian Express, under the pen name Nachiketa, had become a favourite of the then President Dr S Radhakrishnan. When the latter underwent a cataract operation and couldn’t read by himself anymore, he requested his staff to get the writer himself.<br /><br />“I was delighted but felt that Jalabala, is a better reader and hence should attend to the President. Unfortunately, due to some confusion, only Jalabala was allowed to visit Rashtrapati Bhavan. The good part was that he liked it so much that he immediately requested ICCR a public recital.”<br /><br />Rest, as they say is history. From the ICCR, where a few foreign delegates spotted it, the ‘show’ travelled to Europe. Here, they got such rave reviews that the Royal Shakespeare Company invited the duo to prepare a play for its World Theatre Season. And Gopal’s Ramayan was born. <br /><br />Of course, then it was a one-woman show with Jalabala playing all the characters in the epic, at all prestigious theatre stages of the world. Now, a cast of six-seven people at least, including their grandchildren Nisa and Dhruv, perform this play.<br /><br />Jalabala says, “Gopal has written several plays since but Ramayan remains etched in the hearts of one and all.”</p>
