In a fictional jagir in north India two rich zamindar brothers rule over a happy family, and a harmonious community of peasants. The unexpected arrival of foreign visitors seeking refuge is the beginning of a dramatic turn of fortunes. Ruthless machinations by the foreigners split the community, and turn brother against brother. First staged in 1945 by Prithviraj Kapoor’s Prithvi Theatres, Deewar is a fascinating allegory of colonization and partition. In 2018 it is a remarkable insight into a historical moment full of promise for a new nation.
