Sara is a dramatic enactment of the life and times of Sara Shagufta, one of Sub-Continent s most controversial poets whose life was troubled with personal conflicts and exploitation, which found expression through her creative outpourings in the form of shayari. Largely based on her letters to Amrita Pritam, this dramatization takes us through her struggles and victories as it does try to fathom her innermost yearnings. Sara Shagufta is an important voice because it came from a deeply conservative society of the seventies and early eighties. She flouted the rules laid down by her society and yet deep in her heart she yearned for the very things that a civilized society offers an individual. Love, family and life lived with dignity.
Mahesh Dattani, an universal name in the English theatre as Director / Playwriter, has skillfully adopted the torment behind the letters Sara wrote and her shayari; converted as a play, first time in HINDUSTANI. The Hindustani version is written by a journalist SHAHID ANWAR.
The direction and treatment by the director Mahesh Dattani is flawless and keeps you glued to your seat for full one hour. Dialogues by Anwar are soulful, satirical and pithy to jolt our hearts and prompt us to join two hands often in applause. But the best part of this play is superb and heart wrenching portrayal and characterization by the NSD qualified actor Seema Azmi. She literally lived the role as SARA SHAGUFTA --- the tormented soul exploited by this world at every stage of her life. It is an achievement for SEEMA AZMI to go on emoting the inner conflicting nuances of the character non-stop throughout during the hour with appropriate tonal variation, pitch, emphasis and pace as solo act. Bravo Seema !
The set and properties were all well managed and arranged. in sequences. Young producer Tarun Negi also deserve a pat for having dared to produce this classic and present it on THE WORLD THEATRE DAY (28 th March) at the Manik Sabhagrih Bandra
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