Considering the recent decision of the Central Government to put Shaniwarwada, the erstwhile citadel of the Peshwas, on the international tourist map, this Rs 1.25 crore endeavour (the cost of the Light and Sound show, that is) would benefit only the Marathi-speaking crowd. But Ninad Bedekar, the script-writer of this show, gives a glimmer of hope when he states, ``This programme will also be depicted in English, three months after the Marathi show begins.'' This puts the time-frame somewhere in the month of April 2000. At the moment though, spadework regarding who will write the script inEnglish and whose voices will be lent for the English version of the show has yet to begin.

The show will be a 50-minute capsule depicting Maratha history, beginning from the time Chhatrapati Shivaji was brought to Pune alongwith his mother, Jijabai, and teacher, Dadaji Kondke, in 1637. Otherwise, the capsule will primarily cover the entire Peshwa period between 1713 and 1818.

The show is being done in the form of an audio drama with well-known artists lending voice to it and special effects through lighting that will focus on the precise areas of Shaniwarwada where certain historic events took place.The voice lenders include Dr Sreeram Lagoo, Ramesh Bhatkar, Mohan Joshi, Satyadev Dubey, Nilu Phule, Vikram Gokhale, Mrinal Kulkarni amongst others.

The drama is interspersed with four to five songs and the voices for these have been lent by eminent singers Ravindra Sathe, Keshav Badge, Madhuri Purandare and Savni Shende.

Directed by the well-acclaimed theatre personality, Dr. B V Karanth, andco-ordinated by the National School of Drama's Basanraj Patil, the show is in its final stages of recording and mixing at a studio in Mumbai. States Bedekar, ``After a brief history of Chhatrapati Shivaji, we focus on the four generation Peshwas who resided in the royal premises of Shaniwarwada.

We begin from Baji Rao I, highlighting his various victories in battles and his fascination for Mastani. Then Nanasaheb Peshwa holds centrestage since he played a pivotal role in shaping Pune's water supply system and other civic development. And we cannot afford to ignore the murder of Narayanrao by his ambitious uncle, Raghunathrao.''

``We have highlighted the Battle of Panipat which saw the Maratha defeat and the Battle of Wadgaon which saw the Maratha victory. The fires that razed Shaniwarwada to dust and the role of Baji Rao II at the fag end of the Peshwa period will also be in the spotlight,'' he adds.

The project, that had been progressing at snail's pace for two years, has gained momentum with theNational Culture Fund giving aid to the tune of Rs 68 lakh.