AAJ RANG HAI is the quintessential melodrama which celebrates life and love. The play directed by Gopal Tiwari and Purva Naresh borrows from Amir Khusrow's poetry and his philosophy. As the play begins, one sees a beautifully crafted set with a thin curtain demarcating the world of Khusrow from the lives of the characters. The play commences with soft green lights and a live rendition of the Sufiana Qualam by the traditional quawwals, creating an atmosphere of a Lucknowi mehfil. Gagan Dev Riar and Makrand Deshpande lend their strong voices to the song 'Ali Maula' and enthrall the audience with their pitch and voice quality.
As the story progresses, we are introduced to immaculately etched characters like Beni, Phuphi, Ameena, Vidya and others. Phuphi (Sadiya Siddiqui) is an old fussy granny who is a staunch believer of Lord Krishna and gets finicky when a Muslim boy steps into her kitchen or when little Ameena touches her glass of water. In spite of this, she has a heart of gold and has immense affection towards Ameena.
Beni Bai (Trishla Patel), a strong headed woman with her treasure trove of knowledge about the history of Indian classical music, takes the audience into the world of Amir Khusrow's poetry. It's hard to believe that the two old women on stage- Beni and Phuphi are only in their mid thirties.
The two little girls Ameena (Nishi Doshi) and Vidya (Preetika Chawla) spice up the stage with their cute and affable characters. Playing a child can be a challenging task but these older actors play their characters flawlessly. The scene in which the naughty girls are engrossed in a playful conversation about Allah Miya is to watch out for. Not being able to reach a conclusion of how Allah looks, they rush to Beni. Beni explains them that Allah/Khuda (God) resides in all things that are pious and beautiful. Beni's lines are soul stirring.
Fanne (Pawan Uttam), a young Muslim boy is head over heels in love with his next door Hindu neighbour Sharda (Purva Naresh). One can feel the old school romance brewing between the two as they look into each other's eyes and declare their love for each other. Munnu Mamma (Imran Rashid), as the mischievous girls call him, is entertaining and endearing. At the end of the play he is reduced to a frail, old man who has lost all except for Ameena.
Fanne and Sharda's romance is conflated with the story of Rani Padmini of Chittor. This scene is an amalgamation of classical music, Amir Khusrow's poetry and the spectacular Kathak performance by Purva Naresh.
Another breathtaking scene is when Sharda dances in the rain and Fanne offers her an umbrella. It reminds one of Raj Kapoor's famous film Awaara. The dim blue lights, the sound effects of rain, the black umbrella and the two lovers make the perfect ingredients for an utterly romantic scene.
Gagan Dev Riar, competent as always, delivers a good performance in his role of Amir Khusrow. Khusrau's conversation with his mother is one of the most touching scenes of the play. She tells him that while his verse is for the educated and the royal people, he must also write in the Khariboli, the language of the common man. Above all, this play is about communal harmony. The lyrics of the song 'Dagar Panghat Ki' will make you think about the futile riots that keep taking place among Hindus and Muslims in the name of religion. The song elaborates on the fact that neither of the two communities is bad but that every person has the tendency to be evil.
The music of the play is soulful. The compositions by Purva's mother Vijay Naresh are meaningful. Purva has co-written a beautiful play with her mother. You could find yourself singing 'Aaj Rang Hai' and 'Maula Ali Maula' along with the singers.
There are too many characters and this can be distracting. There is a Kathak dance sequence in which the other dancers are unable to match Purva and appear as unnecessarily crowding the stage. The second half of the play is more powerful than the first and the audience is engaged. The end is poignant but the eternal message of love and harmony stays and has been conveyed in a most touching way.
*Astha Arora acts in Yatri's productions. She has a graduate degree in Mass Media and is now pursuing her Masters in Journalism.
Beni Bai (Trishla Patel), a strong headed woman with her treasure trove of knowledge about the history of Indian classical music, takes the audience into the world of Amir Khusrow's poetry. It's hard to believe that the two old women on stage- Beni and Phuphi are only in their mid thirties.
