Theatre celebrates pioneer playwright’s birth centenary

MUMBAI: Tuesday evening at NCPA, the students of Mumbai University's Academy of Theatre Arts performed 'Aazar Ka Khwab', an Urdu adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's 'Pygmalion'. Surleen Kaur as Eliza Doolittle melded fire and ice while perfecting her 'sheen qaaf' (diction). Young Niranjan Javir meanwhile seemed to have been possessed by the spirit of Prof Higgins.

Director Atul Tiwari appeared pleased as punch as the audience burst into applause.

Its playwright Qudsia Zaidi would have been proud too.

The world of theatre is celebrating the birth centenary of this playwright who is considered one of the earliest women pioneers in the field. The Begum Qudsia Zaidi Centenary Committee and Gillo Foundation are hosting a three-day festival of her plays at the NCPA from February 17-19. M S Sathyu is staging 'Mudrarakshas', Tiwari is directing 'Aazar...' and Sayeed Alam brings 'Chacha Chhakkan Ke Karnaame'.

Way back in 1954, Begum Zaidi founded a professional group named Hindustani Theatre with Habib Tanvir. The Delhi-based troupe nurtured the careers of M S Sathyu, Irshad Panjatan and Yunus Parwaiz among others. Zaidi was also a prolific writer of books for kids.

Among her well-known adaptations is 'Khalid Ki Khala', which is drawn from 'Charley's Aunt'. 'Aazar...' meanwhile was written well before 'My Fair Lady' made 'Pygmalion' popular. It has been staged by Balraj Sahni and Nitin Sethi before.

It was also the only play Farooque Shaikh directed, himself playing the central role of Aazar (Prof Higgins) while engaging Smita Jayakar for Hajra (Eliza Doolittle). "The 2002 production did well abroad but not in India. I was too old to play Hajra, and moreover, Shaikh declined to accept sponsorship from alcohol and cigarette firms," says Jayakar.

Zaidi's family is planning tributes through the year. Daughter Shama Zaidi, screenplay writer and costume designer of repute, is publishing ten plays "so people who cannot see them may at least read them". Shama's husband, Sathyu, recalls how Begum travelled with her plays through miners' towns in Bihar to the amazement of critics. Their daughter Shaili who does theatre for kids is adapting her grandmother's short stories. Begum Zaidi's promising career was cut short by early death at age 46.

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