Latest news with #Tughlaq
Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Years after curtain call, India's first English theatre group returns
1 2 Mumbai: It all began on three terraces of a Colaba building. A group of young, enthusiastic, idealistic youngsters would occupy them and pore over scripts and stories, including those by the Bard. They honed their acting skills as they performed 'Othello', 'Hamlet' and 'Tughlaq'. Long before the world became their stage, it was here that they discussed theatre endlessly. In the tumultuous times of WWII, Kulsum Terrace, the Colaba residence of wealthy businessman Jafferseth and wife Kulsumbai, became a lab for theatre enthusiasts. Here began Theatre Group Bombay, India's first English theatre group, which nurtured many talents and produced playwrights, plays and actors. Years after remaining dormant, Theatre Group Bombay was revived on Saturday. Oxford-returned Bobby Sultan Padamsee, son of Jafferseth and Kulsumbai, planted the seed in 1941 at Kulsum Terrace. Later, Bobby's brother, Alyque Padamsee, and his wife Pearl nurtured it. Long before Alyque's prodigal brother-in-law and immensely talented Ebrahim Alkazi formed his own group, Theatre Unit, and later moved to Delhi to establish National School of Drama, he had joined Theatre Group Bombay in 1952 on returning from England. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Most Beautiful Women In The World Undo Since he was also part of Progressive Artists' Group, Alkazi roped in the likes of M F Husain and S H Raza to design stages for some of his plays. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Bobby was hugely influenced by two things: the English language and New York's theatre collective Group Theatre. He wanted to create a vibrant English theatre scene in India. His baby, Theatre Group Bombay, attracted many young enthusiasts who cut their teeth here before leapfrogging to national and international fame. Before playwright John Murrell's 'Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story' took Kabir Bedi, as Shah Jahan, to a global stage, he acted in this theatre group's 'Othello' and 'Tughlaq'. Before Bollywood beckoned actor Dalip Tahil, he trained under Alyque and Pearl and played Jesus in 'Godspell'. Etiquette trainer-actor Sabira Merchant groomed the likes of Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta for beauty pageants only years after she cut her teeth in the theatre group. After Alyque's death in 2018, the curtains came down on the group. His daughter, theatre personality Raell Padamsee, who heads the group now, recalls: "It was a cottage industry where my uncle and later my parents joined to create and stage plays. Meals came from my grandmother's kitchen, while ideas and thoughts flowed freely. Love and passion for English theatre drove these idealists." Bobby died young, but his dream to create a vibrant English theatre movement in India survived. It continued as Alyque and Pearl kept the flag flying. Alyque, who reached dizzying heights both in advertising and theatre, penned, produced and directed prolifically. He is best known for playing Mohammed Ali Jinnah in the iconic film 'Gandhi' (1982). The group produced many good actors, including Gerson da Cunha, Deryck Jeffereyis, Farokkh Mehta, Roger Pereira and Merchant. "Nothing has brought me more fame than the Alyque-directed play 'A Streetcar Named Desire'. We had numerous shows of it and it even won me the All India Critics Award," recalled Merchant, whose uncle Yasin Vazirali introduced her to theatre in the 1960s. She has never looked back since. Farid Currim was at Campion School in the 1960s. Alyque and Pearl were roped in to prepare the school team to participate in an interschool dramatic competition. "I would climb on a window and see the team rehearse and prepare. One day Pearl saw me watching and called to check if I wanted a role. She offered a minor role in a play. And I became part of this group, featuring in several plays and travelling extensively with the troupe," says Currim, who divides his time between acting and advertising. With its relaunch, the group is reviving a rich theatre legacy.
New Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
The great Indian wedding: Girish Karnad's 'Wedding Album' to be performed
Even as the mythologically inspired, dramatic worlds of playwright and actor Girish Karnad's Nagamandala, Hayavadana, Yayati, and Tughlaq continue to capture the attention and imaginations of playgoers and practitioners alike, with regular performances in the city, a staging of Wedding Album is, perhaps, a rare sight. One of the last plays he penned before his demise in 2019, Wedding Album will be performed at Bangalore International Centre on July 9 and Ranga Shankara on July 30. 'While Karnad was known for his mythological plays, he wrote urban stories in contemporary settings towards the end of his life. In this one, he takes on the institution of weddings and how the whole thing, with cultural sanction, has become absurd and nobody's questioning it,' explains play director Kishore Acharya. Wedding Album gives a glimpse into the house of a middle-class family in the 2000s, looking for a perfect match for their 21-year-old daughter. Their only condition: he must be in the US (United States). Through the ridiculous scenarios arising from the set-up and as the relationships between members of the family are unravelled, Karnad satirises arranged marriage, and the institution at the centre of all the chaos: caste. 'You're talking about an educated, upper-middle-class, 'upper caste' home. It's absurd that in the pursuit of getting their daughter married to someone in the US, they are willing to let go of a lot of things. The whole thing is hinging on the fact that the girl will pack up her life here and go live with someone she's met 24 hours ago. The only tick mark is that he's from the same caste and class,' says Acharya, adding that the play delves into the inter-generational relationships within the family. 'There are no heroes or moments of rebellion by younger characters. In the end, he shows that there is no difference and that we haven't evolved further. A lot of people can interpret it as hopeless, but it is showing a mirror to society.'
NDTV
10-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Who Are Delhi's Roads Named After?
New Delhi: By the time you've made your way from Tughlaq Road to Bhagat Singh Marg, you've time-travelled about 700 years. And you didn't even notice. Delhi isn't just a city of monuments, it's a city of memory. Its roads, in particular, are time capsules. They don't just take you places; they tell you who got to write the history books. Or rewrite them. From Mughal emperors and British viceroys to freedom fighters and near-forgotten local leaders, the capital's street signs double up as a living museum of India's political, cultural and ideological inheritance. And while the buildings beside them have crumbled and risen again, the road names, with all their symbolic weight, have stayed. Sometimes unchanged, sometimes challenged, sometimes completely rewritten. In Delhi, the battle over who we are often begins with where we drive. Names That Built Empires Walk, or rather, drive through Lutyens' Delhi, and you'll still find yourself surrounded by the ghosts of the Mughal dynasty. Akbar Road. Shahjahan Road. Humayun Road. Even Babar Lane. Some of the oldest roads in Delhi carry the names of rulers from the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire, eras that deeply shaped the city's language, architecture and power structures. Tughlaq Road: Named after Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, founder of the Tughlaq dynasty. Ironically, his capital, Tughlaqabad, lies in ruins, but the road named after him runs through the heart of Lutyens' Delhi. Akbar Road: For the Mughal emperor, often called the architect of syncretic rule in India. Home to several Congress party offices, it has become a symbolic space for political power. Aurangzeb Road (renamed Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Road in 2015): One of the most controversial names. Aurangzeb, a strict Mughal ruler, is seen by some as a despot and by others as a devout leader. The renaming was framed as honouring a "true nationalist." Shahjahan Road: Named after the emperor who built the Red Fort and Jama Masjid, two of Delhi's most enduring icons. But in recent years, these names have come under fire - literally, under white paint and political petitions. In 2022, Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta urged the NDMC to rename six such roads, calling them "symbols of slavery." He proposed new names: Akbar Road as Maharana Pratap Road, Tughlaq Road as Guru Gobind Singh Marg and Shahjahan Road after General Bipin Rawat. This isn't new. In 2015, Aurangzeb Road became APJ Abdul Kalam Road following public pressure and political backing. Critics called it erasure of history, supporters said it was historical correction. Either way, the precedent had been set. Viceroys, Princes And The British Blueprint When the British rebuilt Delhi as the new imperial capital in 1911, they named roads not for local figures, but for governors, viceroys, and visiting royalty. Curzon Road (now Kasturba Gandhi Marg): Originally named after Lord Curzon, infamous for dividing Bengal in 1905. Renamed post-independence to honour Gandhi's wife and fellow freedom fighter. Connaught Place / Connaught Circus: Still bears the name of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught. Though officially renamed Rajiv Chowk and Indira Chowk, the British names continue in common usage. Kingsway (now Kartavya Path): Once the route for British parades, later renamed Rajpath post-Independence, and more recently renamed Kartavya Path under the Modi government, in a bid to decolonise and "Indianise" public symbols. Minto Road and Minto Bridge: Still named after Lord Minto, British Viceroy from 1905-1910. Unlike Curzon or Kingsway, these names haven't faced public or political pressure yet, possibly because they're lower-profile. Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, didn't do much in Delhi, but he got a traffic circle and a central shopping district. Lord Curzon, infamous for partitioning Bengal, was once immortalised in the very heart of New Delhi. These names reinforced the empire's narrative: that Britain had brought order, governance and elegance to a "wild" land. Post-1947, newly independent India began peeling off these layers. Kingsway became Rajpath. Curzon Road was rechristened for the Gandhian legacy. Race Course Road - the address of the Prime Minister - was transformed into Lok Kalyan Marg in 2016. But the residue of colonial presence still lingers. Freedom Fighters, Founding Fathers And Forgotten Heroes Post-independence, Delhi saw a wave of renamings - not just to erase colonial names, but to honour the leaders who shaped the idea of a free India. Vijay Chowk: Formerly the site of imperial parades, it now honours India's victory in the 1971 war. Subhash Marg, Bhagat Singh Marg, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Marg, Lala Lajpat Rai Marg, Dadabhai Naoroji Road: Each one commemorates leaders who resisted both British rule and communal politics. Kamraj Marg, Krishna Menon Marg, Purana Quila Road (near Indira Gandhi's residence): Markers of India's Nehruvian legacy, many of these roads are located near the power corridors of central Delhi. Interestingly, Race Course Road, the Prime Minister's official residence address, was renamed Lok Kalyan Marg in 2016. A symbolic shift from colonial leisure to public welfare. Municipal bodies in Delhi, especially the BJP-led North Delhi Municipal Corporation, have often renamed unnamed or obscure properties after local figures, from community leaders to councillors and even vague "religious personalities." In one recent round, 34 new names were assigned: Baba Ramdev Park (not the yoga guru, but a Rajasthani saint), Master Attar Singh Park (proposed because "the Brahmin population exceeds 10,000"), and Ashwini Kumar Hall (identity unclear). Even leaders from the ruling party admitted that councillors were proposing names after relatives or friends. And since the rules only prohibit renaming properties that already have names, these proposals walk a legal grey zone, while cluttering the symbolic map of Delhi with a mix of reverence and randomness. Roads Of Memory Thankfully, not all renaming debates are messy. Some road names honour genuine titans of Indian history. Netaji Subhash Marg. Bhagat Singh Marg. Kamraj Marg. Rajendra Prasad Road. These are legacy markers, not contested so much as celebrated. Others, like Chittaranjan Park and Kamla Nehru Ridge, preserve the memory of leaders who didn't wield swords but still shaped the nation. Mr. C.R. Das, a lawyer and activist, and Kamla Nehru, a social reformer and political partner to Jawaharlal Nehru, may have been overshadowed by bigger figures, but their names remain rooted in the city's geography. Where Faith Finds Its Address Delhi has long been a melting pot, not just of power but of prayer. Some road names, thankfully, have little to do with politics and more with everyday geography or faith. Street names like Nizamuddin, Jama Masjid Road, Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Road and St. James Church Road illustrate how faiths have lived side-by-side in the capital. Yamuna Marg: Named after the river that has shaped Delhi for centuries. Nizamuddin Road: Home to the dargah of Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya, this road blends religion and history. Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Road, Hanuman Road, Church Road: Reflect religious diversity and how Delhi's roads mirror its faith communities. Chandni Chowk: Designed by Jahanara Begum, daughter of Shah Jahan. Its name means "moonlit square," and it still bustles with traders, shoppers and history. These spiritual street names aren't controversial. They're lived realities: shrines in stone and asphalt, as sacred as they are secular. Roads That Remember (And Roads That Forget) There are glaring omissions, too. Delhi still lacks roads named after many iconic women beyond the Nehru-Gandhi family. Rani Gaidinliu, Captain Lakshmi Sehgal and Hansa Mehta - a few feature on the map. Dalit leaders, too, are underrepresented beyond Ambedkar. What's In A Name? It's easy to scoff at road renaming as political posturing, and sometimes, it is. But in a city as old and contested as Delhi, names do matter. They tell us whose story gets told. They shape the way we remember and forget. After all, roads outlast the regimes that name them. Politicians come and go. Monarchs fall. Councillors get voted out. But Shahjahan Road? It's still there. So is Bhagat Singh Marg. The signboards may fade, and the asphalt may crack. But the memory endures. Which is why every name change becomes a fight not just for territory, but for truth. Every Turn Tells A Story The next time you take a cab in Delhi, look up from your phone. You might just find yourself driving over the past. Was this road named for a conqueror, a coloniser, a revolutionary or a forgotten saint? Was it renamed in rage or reverence? Does it belong to the people who walk it every day, or to those who only seek to rename it from afar? Delhi's roads don't just lead you somewhere. They ask where you're coming from. So, the next time you ask for directions, don't just look at the map. Look at the names. They'll tell you more than Google ever could.
New Indian Express
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Sheila Bharat Ram Theatre Festival 2025 kicks off successfully, celebrating Delhi's rich theatre legacy
Delhi's theatre scene springs to life this week with the return of the Sheila Bharat Ram Theatre Festival, hosted by the city's iconic Shri Ram Centre of Performing Arts (SRPCA). This year, the repertory brings four in-house productions to the stage — each one distinct in form and spirit — as part of a growing effort to spotlight Hindi theatre's depth, diversity, and relevance in the digital age. 'This festival isn't just about showcasing good scripts, it's about keeping the fire of live performance alive,' says Hemant Bharat Ram, executive vice president of SRPCA. 'In a world where media consumption has become extremely individualistic and mostly online, theatre stands out as something truly unique.' The 2025 lineup includes playwright Girish Karnad's celebrated historical dramas Tughlaq and Agni Aur Barkha, Ram Dayal Sharma's folk-infused Daaku Sultana, and the new, contemporary play Stuck by Maneesh Verma. Each brings a different theatrical language to the stage — from epic period drama and musical folk traditions to slice-of-life realism.
Hindustan Times
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
HT City Delhi Junction: Catch It Live on 5 June 2025
What: Sheila Bharat Ram Theatre Festival | Tughlaq (Directed by K Madavane) Where: Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts, 4, Safdar Hashmi Marg, Mandi House A post shared by Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts (@shriramcentre) When: June 5 Timing: 7pm Entry: Nearest Metro Station: Mandi House (Blue & Violet Lines) What: 12th Edition of Dialogue to Develop a Vision for the Environment of Delhi – Bikram Singh Sajwan, Vivek Saxena, Prof Akshay Kaul, Yogita Shukla, Suhas Borker, and Justice Abhay S Oka Where: Conference Room I, India International Centre, 40 Max Mueller Marg, Lodhi Road When: June 5 Timing: 6pm Entry: Free Nearest Metro Station: Jor Bagh (Yellow Line) What: Taekwondo, Facing the World Where: Korean Cultural Centre India (KCCI), 25-A, Ring Road, Vikram Vihar, Lajpat Nagar IV When: June 2 to August 1 Timing: 9am to 6pm Entry: Free Nearest Metro Station: Moolchand (Violet Line) What: Bollywood Night ft Aakarshakh Band Where: The Terrace, Plot-01, Sector-5, Vaishali, Ghaziabad When: June 5 Timing: 8pm Entry: Nearest Metro Station: Vaishali (Blue Line) What: Kal Ki Chinta Nahi Karta ft Ravi Gupta Where: Studio XO Bar, Trillium Avenue, Sector 29, Gurugram When: June 5 Timing: 8pm Entry: Nearest Metro Station: Millennium City Centre Gurugram (Yellow Line) What: 2nd Dr BR Ambedkar Craft Mela Where: Noida Haat, D-10, Sector 33A, Noida When: June 5 to 9 Timing: 4pm to 10pm Entry: Free Nearest Metro Station: Noida City Centre (Blue Line)
