Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
Down the memory lane
|
Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar take audience through a social political and economic times off the pages of Shaukat Azmi's memoirs
|
He was not just a poet. There was much to his persona. A prolific writer, a loving husband, a revolutionary poet, Kaifi Azmi had many facets that probably people are not aware of. Shaukat Azmi's Yaad Ki Rah Guzar translated into a unique staging Kaifi aur Main, moved the audience at Shilpa Kala Vedika, with Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar, reading the parts of Shaukat and Kaifi Azmi.
Memories galore
The first half of the play revelled in the romance— from the first meeting of Shaukat and Kaifi in Hyderabad in a progressive writers conference, their marriage in Mumbai to their life in the commune. It also presented the story of Kaifi Azmi, childhood memories of the British rule and his sojourn from a small town to the Bollywood capital.
The second half threw light on Kaifi's works for a newspaper and then for cinema.
From Buzdil his first film, when he wrote the lyrics for music scores by S.D. Burman, to the path breaking Waqt ne kiya from Guru Dutt's Kagaz ke Phool, when the director decided to introduce a situation in the film to accommodate songs, Kaifi Azmi went on to emerge as the hit songwriter in a short span.
Chart toppers
But then there was a lull owing to the flop of his movies. Another wave, the play revealed, was during his winning combination with Chetan Anand and Madan Mohan after the success of Haqeeqat and Kaifi went on to do the script for Heer Ranjha.
Many wouldn't know that Shaukat Azmi was a theatre pro working with IPTA much as Kaifi was a philanthropist. His struggle to get a road built to connect his village to the high way, as also a school, was presented with a slice of humour by Akhtar.
The play was interspersed by chart topping songs penned by Kaifi, by Jaswinder Singh. A good concept but when will Hyderabad wake up from their late Lateef habit— the staging was delayed by an hour with people trickling in as late as half an hour later.
Event for chinwag
When will they stop considering it as not one of those events for chinwag, and `to be seen' do by wannabe culturatis? Proceeds from the World Wide Fund for Nature staging are to go for nature conservation. With people haggling for free passes till the eleventh hour makes one think seriously about the effort. One for the panda then.
S.F.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
|
