Swatantra Veer Savarkar: A Dramatic Portrayal of a National Hero

Swatantra Veer Savarkar

Swatantra Veer Savarkar – Yes, I am Savarkar is a dramatic portrayal of the life of Veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, an Indian revolutionary, thinker, and national hero. The story spans from his birth in 1883 in Bhagur, Nashik, to his time in the Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands and the years of independent India. The play highlights his childhood love for his motherland, his 1906 journey to London to ignite revolution at India House, the burning of foreign clothes, his book on the First War of Indian Independence in 1857, and the tortures faced by Andaman prisoners.

Writer and Director

Rishi Sahni has been involved in art since childhood, participating in plays such as Panna Dhai, Veer Shivaji Maharaj, Maharana Pratap, Jallianwala Bagh, and Ramlila performances. His direction emphasizes actors' emotional expression, dialogue, and stage design.

Director's Note

Director Rishi Sahni describes the play as a living embodiment of an idea, consciousness, inspiration, and resolve, noting that chains can bind the body but not thoughts. Bringing Savarkar's courage, penance, and patriotism to the stage is described as a national duty and an artistic endeavor.