MAULANA AZAD

In his foreword to Maulana Azad's book 'India Wins freedom', Humayun Kabir mentions the Maulana as a "wonderful conversationalist". The play evolves in the backdrop of Maulana Azad dictating notes to Humayun Kabir for his book. While talking about the book, which is largely political, the Maulana often digresses from the subject. As a result, he discusses at length an entire gamut of issues, largely apolitical - ranging from white jasmine tea to Tajmahal and the music of Mecca.

Maulana's narrative includes numerous entertaining anecdotes and memoirs characterizing his life,personality, thoughts and scholarship. Maulana's personal relations with Gandhi, Nehru, Patel and Jinnah also come under review in the course of the play.

Maulana Azad is a relatively less known figure as a scholar of great calibre. Most of the published material about him is available in Urdu, and hence inaccessible to a majority of people. The play endeavors to somewhat bridge this gap.