Ghalib in New
Delhi, a play written and directed by Dr. M Sayeed
Alam, is a laugh riot and a political satire. The story is set in present time
Delhi and describes the extremely funny account of the rebirth of Mirza Ghalib.
The plot revolves around the identity crises that Mirza Ghalib faces after his
rebirth in Delhi in 21st century. The play shows the dilemma of one of the
greatest Urdu poets of India who is lost in his own city and is not recognised
by anyone. The bard is baffled by the deteriorating language of people and
tries hard to adjust in today's society. In his journey to reach his haveli at
Ballimaran, he meets a foul-mouthed Paanwali, gives bribe to a Delhi Policeman
and picks nuances of his Haryanvi accent, stays with a student from Bihar in a
room rented out by a Punjabi landlady and eventually turns into a
celebrity!
The
play is not just hilarious but is also full of satirical references regarding
present political and social scenario which make it all the more entertaining.
The satire and pun are interwoven with the storytelling. Dr. Sayeed's portrayal
of Mirza Ghalib is outstanding. He enacts the role of a Septuagenarian quite effectively.
The appearance, slow reflexes and the rugged voice of an old man look natural.
Other characters like a student from Patna enacted by Manish Singh and a
Haryanvi speaking Delhi policeman played by Yashraj Malik have also done
commendable performances. Their haryanvi and bihari accents, in a way, show the
gradual transformation of Delhi in terms of its language, baffling Mirza Ghalib
and making the play more humorous.
But as there are good and not so good about everything, so is with the
play. The role of Paanwali is interesting but the dialogues are not up to the
quality that the overall play has. Other characters like people from
Advertising agency, Autorickshaw driver, Bus driver and Rickshaw wala have not
much to do. Most of the play goes well with the limited things used but the scene
near a bus stop in old Delhi where an autorickshaw driver is repairing his autorickshaw
is not easy to comprehend as there is no prop used to show the vehicle. Also,
the horse-cart driver is standing with just a leash and there is no prop used for
the horse either. So, it takes time to understand what they are doing. Apart
from these little things, the play is fully entertaining, a rip-roaring comedy and
is going to stay in one's mind for a long time.
The play, which has been performed in India and abroad for more than 500
times, is produced by Pierrot’s Troupe, a renowned theatre group which was
formed in 1989. The group performs plays in Hindi, Urdu and English. Some of
their popular plays include Ghalib in New Delhi, Mohan se Mahatma, Cut Cut Cut,
Big B, Maulana Azad, K. L. Saigal, Ghalib, Massage, 1947, Chacha Chakkan in
Action, Letters of Ghalib, Lal Quile Ka Aakhri Mushaera and Sons of Babur.
Priyanka Singh
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