Vaijayanti Apte, wife of late Vinay Apte, who directed the play, remembered the interaction with doctors and nurses of KEM hospital associated with Aruna, who was in a vegetative state ever since the brutal rape by a ward boy Sohanlal Bhartha Walmiki in 1973.
"We were not allowed to meet Aruna but were asked to see her from a distance. A sense of compassion and sadness arose after seeing her," Apte said.
She said her husband who directed and produced the play had invited the KEM staff to witness the rehearsals.
"Only after their clearance, we were ready to stage the play in 2002," she said adding the hospital set was re-created on stage by Pradeep Mulay.
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"The shows went on for nearly two years. Marathi audience go to see plays for entertainment and recreation. Despite the good reviews, the feedback we got was that the audience went back with a sad feeling. So we did not carry on," she said.
The play showed Aruna as a young nurse dedicated to her profession, her tiffs with ward boy Walmiki, the attack and her condition following the incident, Apte said.
"In last 42 years, Aruna was denied the experience of enjoying life. It is sad that her youth was cut short so cruelly and she did not get justice till the end," Apte said.