In the Hindi movies that I have seen Lord Krishna is always shown to be smiling. I don't remember reading that anywhere in any of the Puranas. Always wondered about that. Then I read Mera Natak Kaal by Pandit Radheshyam Kathavaachak. For those who don't know, he was one of the three most important playwrights of the Hindi/Urdu Theater, the other two being Agha Hashr Kashmiri and Pandit Narayan Prasad Betab. In his biography he describes how he persuaded a famous actor to smile always when he was playing Lord Krishna.
The translation is done by Claude.
In the end, I took on “Bhogilal” myself. I led him to the garden in front of the “Sangam Theatre” and explained things to him at length, but he no longer liked playing the “female” part at all. So I suggested that he play “Shri Krishna” instead. He said, “How will I ever get ready for it? The play is going to be staged a month from now anyway.” I said, “I’ll get you ready. I take the responsibility on myself.” I also explained to him that if he played the part of “Shri Krishna” well, he would make a name for himself, and people would keep his “photo” in their homes. And that is exactly what happened later on. Bhogilal was handsome to begin with, and people kept photos of him as Shri Krishna in their houses. Even in “Sorabji’s” own room that “photo” always hung. Along with teaching “Bhogilal” drama, I also gave him one “instruction” every day. Whenever you come on stage, your “gentle smile”, always “the same”, must stay in place. It should do so whether it is the “Gita-Upadesh” scene, or the “Arjun’s Vow” scene, or the “lament of Subhadra and Uttara”. Here I have to praise Bhogilal as an actor. Even great actors cannot manage the thing that Bhogilal did. He kept his “gentle smile”, always “the same”, unchanged through all the scenes.


Now You Know!