Mumbai – May 29 is the 22nd death anniversary of Dr Savita Ambedkar, who passed away in 2003 at the age of 94. Savita, known as Maisaheb, was not only Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar’s second wife, but also his companion, whom Babasaheb credited for extending his life by 8-10 years in the preface of his book The Buddha and His Dhamma.
Their marriage in 1948 became a topic of discussion at that time, as Savita, whose original name was Sharda Kabir, belonged to a Saraswat Brahmin family, while Babasaheb belonged to the Mahar caste. Savita was 39 at the time and Babasaheb was 57, an age difference of 18 years. Yet, their relationship was based on love, respect and intellectual partnership that transcended social barriers.
Independent researcher and practicing dentist Dr. S.P.V.A. Sairam in his article An Unexplored Side of Dr. Ambedkar: His Quiet Relationship with Cinema, Theatre, and Music, published in The Culture Cafe on 14 April 2025, highlights Babasaheb’s lesser-known fondness for cinema, theatre and music. The article mentions the films Babasaheb watched – one of them is the 1937 Marathi film Kunku, released in Hindi as Duniya Na Maane.
According to Dr. Sairam’s article, Babasaheb’s inclination towards cinema is a lesser-known aspect of his personality. He watched films like Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1927 with his first wife Ramabai and also enjoyed Kunku. He was a Marathi film director. He was also associated with prominent theatre personalities like P.K. Atre and Master Krishnarao Fulambrikar.
Basis of marriage
In his article, Dr. Sairam has highlighted Babasaheb’s inclination towards cinema, theatre and music. He particularly mentioned a letter written to Savita, in which Babasaheb expressed deep thoughts on the basis of their marriage. In the letter, he wrote:
If words have any meaning and there is any basis for marriage, then what is the meaning of saying ‘I accept you’ in your letter? In what form did you accept me? As a great person, as a scholar, or as a charming man? What is the source of your inspiration? As a poet has said, ‘Love based on beauty ends with the fading of beauty.’ The same is true for love based on greatness or scholarship. These things start weakening after some time. They cannot be the basis of marriage. Marriage can only be based on love, which can only be described as an intense desire to be with each other. Are you inspired by this feeling? Anything other than this is neither sufficient nor acceptable. I do not know if you have seen the film Kunku or read Hall Caine’s novel The Woman Thou Gavest Me. In both, marriage was only a formality. How sad and tragic they were. The reason for this was that they lacked the desire to be with each other.” This letter reflects Baba Saheb’s thinking that the basis of marriage should not be based on superficial qualities like beauty, greatness or scholarship, but on deep emotional attachment. By referring to Kunku and The Woman Thou Gavest Me, he emphasized that without love, marriage remains only an empty formality. Kunku (1937): An attack on social stereotypes
Kunku (Duniya Na Maane in Hindi), a Marathi film directed by V. Shantaram, is the story of a young woman Neera who is forcibly married to an elderly widower. In the absence of love and understanding, this marriage leads to misery and social pressure for Neera. The film strongly criticises the conservative practices of the time, such as child marriage and ill-matched marriages. Baba Saheb mentioned this film in his letter to Savita because it reinforces his belief that marriage without love is tragic. According to Dr. Sairam, Baba Saheb saw Kunku in the context of his relationship with Savita, raising the question of whether their relationship was based on true love and the desire to be with each other.
The Woman Thou Gavest Me (1913): The Tragedy of a Loveless Marriage
Hall Caine’s novel The Woman Thou Gavest Me is the story of Mary O’Neil, who is married to a wealthy but morally weak man for social and economic reasons. The marriage lacks emotional connection, which leads Mary to seek love elsewhere, but she faces social condemnation and personal misery. The novel takes a dig at the social structures of the time and the formality of marriage. Baba Saheb mentioned this novel because it reinforces his belief that marriage without love and mutual attachment leads to tragedy.
Relationship between Baba Saheb and Savita
Dr. Savita Ambedkar, born on 27 January 1909 in a Saraswat Brahmin family in Dorle village of Ratnagiri district, was a skilled physician. She earned her MBBS degree from Grant Medical College, Mumbai in 1937 and worked as the chief medical officer at a hospital in Gujarat. She met Babasaheb in 1947 when he came to Mumbai for treatment of serious ailments like diabetes, hypertension and joint pain. Savita not only took care of him medically but also shared a deep emotional and intellectual bond with him in the last years of his life.
They were married in a civil ceremony on 15 April 1948 in Delhi. Savita was accepted as “Mai” (mother) by Babasaheb’s followers, and she played this role with full dedication. In her autobiography Babasaheb: My Life with Dr. Ambedkar, Savita outlined memorable moments spent with Babasaheb, including her assistance in the framing of the Indian Constitution, drafting of the Hindu Code Bill, and writings like The Buddha and His Dhamma. On 14 October 1956, when Babasaheb embraced Buddhism along with lakhs of followers at Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur, Savita was with him and she too embraced Buddhism.
After Babasaheb’s demise, on 6 December 1956, Savita was wrongly targeted by some followers. She was accused of being responsible for Babasaheb’s death and a controversy was raised over her Brahmin background. This led to Savita getting isolated from the Ambedkarite movement for some time and moving to a farmhouse in Mehrauli, Delhi. However, in the 1970s, Republican Party of India leaders Ramdas Athavale and Gangadhar Gade brought her back to the movement. Savita actively participated in the Dalit-Buddhist movement and played a key role in the establishment of the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Museum and Memorial of the Symbiosis Society in Pune.
On the occasion of Dr. Savita Ambedkar’s 22nd death anniversary, we remember her relationship with Baba Saheb as a love story that transcended social barriers and was based on love, respect and intellectual partnership. His letter to Savita, which mentions Kunku and The Woman Thou Gavest Me, underlines his belief that the basis of marriage should be a deep desire to be with each other. Savita not only took care of Baba Saheb’s health but also contributed significantly to his social and intellectual mission. Their story teaches us that true love and devotion can break social stereotypes and leave a lasting legacy.
Courtesy : Geetha Sunil Pillai, Hindi News
