Dr Sayeed Alam heads the Delhi based theatre group, Pierrot. A man of varied interests, Dr Alam was a University teacher and a journalist before taking up his passion - theatre -- as profession in 1996. Since then he has written, directed and acted in more than 25 plays. The Urdu poet Ghalib continues to fascinate him. The group will perform the plays, GHALIB and KL SAIGAL in Mumbai on 2nd and 3rd March 2012 at the YB Chavan auditorium. Click on GHALIB and KL SAIGAL to find out more
Deepa Punjani
Your work demonstrates an obvious interest in Ghalib. Why so?
What a fascinating poet, person and personality he was. Add to it the tumultuous era he lived in. And do not forget the people around him; his contemporaries, his friends, his disciples and, most importantly, his highly learned wife (unfortunately the butt of joke for many of those who have worked on Ghalib in TV, Cinema and Theatre). Last but not the least, Ghalib is the most talked about and the least understood poet in the present times.
Along with GHALIB, you will also be staging KL SAIGAL. What was it about the Indian musician that made you want to do a play on his life?
It's again the 'Ghalib factor'. Saigal has sung Ghalib as no one else has. Saigal is the first and the last singer, to the best of my knowledge, to have understood Ghalib's poetry. However, the play could not have been possible without the inspiration from Kazi Saheb of Nehru Centre, Mumbai, who asked me to attempt a play on K L Saigal. Till then, I was also amongst those who used to make fun of his singing quality. And since then, he (Saigal) and his life have been an inspiration. His humble background and beginning, his struggle and his journey to 'stardom', and all in a very short span of his lifetime. Moreover, he comes across as an important tool to re-visit the golden era of Indian Music and Cinema. Hence, this play.
To depict an entire life on stage can prove to be a daunting experience and may eventually be selective. How do you deal with the copious material at your disposal and decide on the narrative and the form that you'd like your play to have?
Well! It is. Yet it is not a biographical and chronologically arranged drama on Saigal's life. I have used largely those episodes of his life which help us understand him, his music and his acting prowess. Then, I have used a character called "Buzurgwar" (played by Tom Alter Sahib) whose narrates certain anecdotes and episodes of Saigal Saheb's life more convincingly than what the visual treatment could have.
Your group has performed in Mumbai earlier too. Have you found a receptive audience here?
Amazing. Be it MAULANA AZAD,GHALIB,SONS OF BABUR, GHALIB IN NEW DELHI or GHAZANFAR HUSSAIN, the response has been tremendous. Every time, we have performed in Mumbai, we have got a standing ovation. All credit to the Mumbai audiences. For, we do not necessarily get standing ovations when we perform outside Mumbai, including Delhi - the home ground. I also love (for obvious reasons) Mumbai audience's penchant for watching play by buying tickets.
Amongst the productions your group has done so far, is there any one production that you particularly like?
It is undoubtedly, GHALIB IN NEW DELHI -- the backbone of Pierrot's Troupe -- performed more than 300 times - a reflection of our creative and commercial success.
Your work demonstrates an obvious interest in Ghalib. Why so?
