Salim Arif's Essay Communications Is Celebrating 10 Years Of Theatre...
August 16, 2011 12:00:00 AM IST MTG editorial
Essay Communications with Salim Arif at the helm, entered its tenth year in March 2011. A journey which started with GHALIBNAAMA in 2002, has since seen productions like KHARAASHEIN, AAPKI SONIYA, KACHCHE LAMHE, HUM SAFAR, and a Gulzar trilogy with LAKEEREIN and ATTHANNIYAAN during the last nine years.
This year, a week long festival at Prithvi from 15th March to 20th March 2011 initiated the celebrations. The festival included a tribute to Gulzar's and Faiz Ahmad Faiz's poetry. In continuation of the Ten Year celebrations, another week long festival with two new plays and a homage is scheduled from 23rd August to 28th August 2011 at Prithvi Theatre.
As part of its ten year celebrations, Essay Communications has invited children from Arushi, which is a Bhopal based not-for-profit organisation. A highlight of this festival is going to be the performance of Salim Arif's play KAPTAN CHACHA by the physically challenged children of Arushi. The play is based on a story written by Gulzar. The performance will take place on 23rd August at 6.30 pm in the evening at Prithvi theatre.
Gulzar has done a stage version of Tagore's famous story, 'Streer Patro. and his own story 'Mard' as SUNTE HO, a double bill, which will premier at this festival on 23rd and 24th Aug at 9.30 pm .
With Lubna Salim in lead, STREER PATRO is about Mrinalini who is forced to question the ways of a patriarchal society. MARD is about a woman Rama who finds herself answerable to another growing man who happens to be her own son.
Javed Siddiqi's HUM SAFAR, with Harsh Chhaya and Lubna Salim returns in a new version on 25th August at 9 pm and on 26th August at 6.30 and 9.30 pm.
On 27th August there will be shows of Javed Siddiqi's MULLA RE MULLA - a play on Mulla Nasruddin,the mystic jester. Gulzar's KHARAASHEIN with Atul Kulkarni and Yashpal Sharma is back by public demand in the festival on 28th August at 6 and 9 pm.
Apart from the plays, there are two special shows:
Yaar Julaahe-Poetry recitation by Gulzar promises to be a Gulzar Saab special with the latest unpublished poems by the master poet.
Gulon Mein Rang Bharo is a tribute to Faiz Ahmad Faiz with Rekha Bhardwaj singing Faiz's poetry as composed by Vishal Bhardwaj.
*Mumbai Theatre Guide takes no responsibility for change in schedule
