Ekjute has beein in existence since 1981. Under the guidance of Mrs. Nadira Zaheer Babbar it has come to be recognized as one of the well-known Hindi theatre groups known in India.

Following are few of its productions, which will be performed at Prithvi Theatre from 8th to 13th July 2008.

SACH... JUTA... NAMAK
Razia Aapa ke Comedy Nazrane.
Written by Razia Sajjad Zahee.
Directed by Hanif Patni.
Presented by: Mrs. Nadira Zaheer Babbar.

Sach... Juta... Namak...is directed by Hanif Patni, a senior member of Ekjute. The play is based on three short stories by the eminent Urdu writer Razia Sajjad Zaheer (1912-1979). She was married to Com. Sayed Sajjad Zaheer. Her writing reached great heights during the 1950s & 1960s. She and her husband Com. Sayed Sajjad Zaheer were the co founders of the progressive writing movement in India. Her writings were an outcry for the downtrodden and questioned the existing dogmas in the society, thereby successfully molding the psyche of a whole generation.

The first story is 'Sach... Sirf Sach Aur Sach Ke Siva Kuchh Nahin'. The main protagonist Mamdu accidentally kills the mule of another peasant called Ahsanullah, who in return threatens and files a case against him in the court! Mamdu somehow manages to convince his landlord Barrister Sahab to fight his case in the court. The Story very humorously and satirically brings forth the innocence and greatness of an illiterate and honest peasant!
The second story is 'Juta...' based on the short story Allah De Banda Le. This story revolves around an ordinary domestic servant Fazlu whose life's biggest ambition is to buy a 'Boot Juta' for himself. A believer of god, Fazlu necessarily did not believe in offering prayers. When his cherished dream of being the proud owner of a 'boot juta' is fulfilled, his master forces him to atleast now offers a thanksgiving Namaaz to the almighty! The climax unfolds an interesting and thought provoking turn to the narration!

The third story is called 'Namak...� which is based on the partition of India and Pakistan. The story proves that just by drawing lines on a map you cannot divide the hearts of the people. The languages, the cultures, the traditions, the souls are too deep rooted. The plot revolves around Safiya who is an Indian, travelling to Pakistan to meet her brothers after 20 years. It shows the victory of human emotions and reaffirms our faith in love, peace and unity.

Cast: Nadira Zaheer Babbar, Darpan Mishra, Bharat Jha, Imran Rasheed, Abir Abrar, Santosh Tiwari, Vijay Singh, Mithilesh Singh, Ghafeer Hussain, Farrukh Seyer, Fabian Jayshankar Tripathi, Kajli Sharma, Arun Gondarkar, Asha Halwe, Sonal & others.

Dates & Time: 8th & 9th July 2008 (TUES & WED) - 9.00 pm.

Duration: Two hours (with interval).

Ticket: Rs. 50.



BEGUM JAAN
Ek Ahsaas... Kal Aur Aaj.

Written by : Javed Siddiqi.
Directed by: Nadira Zaheer Babbar.

"Begum Jaan" revolves around three main characters. Begum Jaan is a famous classical singer of yesteryears and is regarded as a living legend. There�s her grand daughter Zarina and a journalist called Sanjay Pande.

The interpersonal relationships between these three characters show that every person has covered himself with various layers that have to be peeled off to get to the deepest realties in each of them.

The script is a reflection of the changing face of India from pre-independence days to its current state through Begum Jaan's narration of various events that occurred in her life.

Cast : Nadira Zaheer Babbar, Juhi Babbar & Anup Soni

Duration : Two hour ten minutes (with interval).

Ticket: Rs. 150.

Date & Time: 10TH & 11th July 2008 (THU-FRI) at 9.00 pm.



SAKUBAI
Cleaning homes.... Cleaning hearts.
Written & Directed by Nadira Zaheer Babbar.
Performed by Sarita Joshi.

This play deals with the story of a common working woman of modern
India coming from the lowest strata of society. It is a solo-actor performance.

Shakuntala, eldest daughter of Laxmi and Tukaram Zamble of Sawantwadi village along with her mother were driven to Mumbai to earn money to support their family. Shakuntala has been working since the time her memory recalls.

The scars of class distinction in our society put us to shame as cultured and sensitive human beings. It also arouses questions like whether the upper class educated financially stable women are actually stable or is it a myth?

Women like Sakubai deal with the most trying circumstances with so much of strength & endurance. They have been around in our lives for years. Though the theme of the play is serious it has humour in it. We survive because of their unsung efforts.

Duration : One hour 30 min. (no interval).

Ticket: Rs. 200.

Time: 12th July 2008 (SAT) 6:30 pm & 9.00 pm.



DAYASHANKAR KI DIARY
Laugh... till you weep.

Written & Directed by Nadira Zaheer Babbar.
Performed by Ashish Vidyarthi.

Dayashankar is alone! He lives in his world,where fantasies and realities merge till the point they become inseperable. Freud said that ' a man lives as much inside his mind as outside'... But what happens to a man who cannot distinguish between the two?
"Dayashankar Ki Diary" is in the form of a dramatized memoir of a man who could not live up to his own dreams . A typical small townie who came to Mumbai to become a Bollywood Star. Instead he lands up in a clerical job and is unable to reconcile with the drab realities of his existence.

Bertolt Brecht said,"giving somebody a job for a small salary is same as condemning him to life imprisonment". Dayashankar is overwhelmed with a sense of rejection and humiliation that he experiences in his day to day life. Dayashankar spins a cocoon of fantasies to shield himself from the reality. He spins and spins this web in which he himself ultimately gets entangled and looses control.

Is Dayashankar really mad? Why do we find ourselves relating to this character? Do we also not live in our own fantasies to protect ourselves from our failures?
The play throws light on various such intriguing questions and most importantly provides an insight into the fantastic happenings of the human mind.

Duration : One hour 30 min. (no interval).

Ticket: Rs. 200.

Date & Time : 13th July 2008 (Sun) 6:30 pm & 9.00 pm.



SONE KI MACHHALI Sone Ki Machhali is based on a poem by Alexander Pushkin. It's a unique adaptation following the concept of a play within a play and a lot of interaction with the audience. In fact, the casting of the play itself is done in consultation with the audience. The story runs like this: An old man catches a golden fish who offers to give him anything provided if the old man were to spare its life. Content with whatever little he has, he doesn't ask for anything in return. However his wife, the old woman is very angry with him for this stupidity. She begins making demands from the Golden Fish, right from a new fishing net, to a new house, to becoming a high-status woman, and then the queen of the earth. Finally when she desires to control the celestial bodies including the moon and the Sun, the Golden Fish decides to teach her a lesson that too much greed is too bad. Hence the Fish takes away all she had given her... and the old man and the old woman find themselves in the same old dilapidated hut.

This is merely the story on which the play is built around. The great fun is that the audience gets lots of opportunities to sing with the actors and interact with them.

Cast: Darpan Mishra, Bharat Jha, Kajli Sharma, Abir Abrar, Imran Rasheed- Farrukh Seyer, Rakhi Mishra, Komal Gupta, Amit Raushan, Vijay, Mithilesh, Ghafeer, Fabian, Sonu, Amit.

Duration: One hour (no interval)

Ticket: Rs. 100.

Date & Time: 12th & 13th july 2008 (sat-sun) 11:00 am.

Note: You can book your tickets by sending your Name, Name of the play, Timing, No. Of tkts required in an sms to 9819997761.

*The above information is courtesy Ekjute. Mumbai Theatre Guide takes no responsibility for change in schedule.