The title of The Hoshruba Repertory and Art for Causes’ Hindustani theatre production, Main Pal Do Pal Ka Shair Hoon, borrows the opening phrase from the popular song from Kabhi Kabhie. The play is a deep dive into the life of Urdu poet and lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi. After sellout shows in Mumbai and New Delhi, Main Pal Do Pal Ka Shair Hoon will be staged at Shilpakala Vedika, Hyderabad, on February 24. The proceeds from the tickets (available on bookmyshow.com) will go towards raising funds for Art for Causes, an NGO that works in education and health care.
The semi-autobiographical theatre presentation is an attempt to encapsulate the life and work of Sahir Ludhianvi in a two-hour play, interspersing it with some of his unforgettable poems and songs. Written by Mir Ali Husain and Himanshu Bajpai, the play directed by Danish Husain will show the lyricist (enacted by Danish Husain) giving a formal interview in his study, sometime in the 1970s. At the other end of the theatre production is a group of young musicians who are fanboys of Ludhianvi, jamming and recreating his iconic songs.
The play took shape when Hyderabad-based artist and documentary filmmaker Amita Talwar reached out to theatre actor and director Danish Husain in summer 2023. Amita had wanted to direct documentaries on six well known lyricists. Her documentary on Kaifi Azmi was aired on Doordarshan decades ago. “Back then, it was a task sending the files from Hyderabad to Delhi,” she recalls. Her plans to make the other five documentaries, including one on Ludhianvi, did not take shape back then.
