The stage is set for the unveiling of one of the world’s most beautiful monuments, the Taj Mahal. Its construction was shrouded in secrecy as the emperor Shah Jahan did not want the world to see it before its formal unveiling. And through the years of its building, rumours surrounding its construction were rife. Two low-level imperial guards, who are also friends, are assigned to watch over the Taj, before its grand reveal.
Guards at the Taj, Rasa Theatre Collective’s third production, explores concepts of friendship and loyalty, beauty and duty, and the dynamics of power through the perspectives of these guards.
Written by Pulitzer-nominated American playwright Rajiv Joseph, the play premiered at The Atlantic Theatre in New York in 2015. The highly nuanced play, while examining the friendship between the two guards, also showcases the politics of power — how even those in the lowest rung of social order are affected by the decisions of the rulers of the land.
Rahul Thomas and Sidharth Varma (the founders of Rasa Theatre Collective), essay the guards Babur and Humayun. “We read the play last year and were moved by the way the plot was propelled by these two characters on stage. It builds as conversation between these two and how it plays on the myths and legends that surround the Taj and its relevance in the modern world is what inspired us to take it up,” says Rahul Thomas, who has also directed it.
A dark comedy, the play constantly challenges notions of power and personal integrity. While the two guards are close friends, their inner worlds come crashing down when they are ordered to carry out an unfathomable task. While Babur has a romantic outlook of the world, Humayun, whose father heads the imperial guards, is more rooted in practicality. The different personalities of the friends lead to conflicting ideas and while Babur insists they could escape the tyrannical ways of the emperor, Humayun is bound by his unshakeable sense of duty.
“Though intense, it is delivered in a lighter vein, with the two friends reminiscing their happier times together. It is peppered with humour and every scene has a new reveal,” says Sidharth. “Though set in the 17th century, the language used is contemporary, which the audience can relate to,” he adds.
The two-hour play in English is for 14 years and above. The play was rehearsed at Nilam by One Little Earth, Tripunithura. It was a crowd-funded initiative, say Rahul and Sidharth.
The dramaturgy is by Nithul Krishna and costumes have been designed by Gayathri Kishore. The production team comprises Abhinav Raj and Sharanya R and properties design is by Santhosh of Panchavarnam Art Hub. While Sidharth has handled the light design, marketing design is by Reshma J V and Anagha Unni.
It will be staged at the Ala Centre for Culture and Alternative Education, Mulanthuruthy, on February 24 and 25 at 6.30pm. For tickets, call 8086811023/9961229312. Tickets are priced at ₹300.
